Memories: The Old and the New
by Cursed Oncer
Summary: Emma Swan and Regina Mills became friends in fourth grade and have only gotten closer since. They love spending the majority of their lives with each other. But something happens shortly after graduation that causes Emma and Regina to drift apart. Watch what happens when they are reunited for the first time in 10 years at their high school reunion! SWANQUEEN AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Don't Remind Me**

 **Hello! I got this idea and just had to write about it. I hope you stick around for it! Oh and a quick note for you: This will mainly be from Emma's POV but don't be surprised when you see things from Regina's POV! Enjoy and keep in mind that I do not own the characters of Once Upon a Time.**

 **(Emma's POV)**

A chunk of warm, slimy mud hits my cheek. I wipe off the drops that hit my lips and widen my eyes at the pesky brunette who threw it at me, "Regina! I'm going to kill you!"

Regina giggles wickedly and runs out from behind the tree, legs covered in mud. I scoop some up into my hands and chuck it at her but miss since I'm laughing.

Regina turns around, "You suck, Swan!"

 _I suck, huh? We'll see about that._ I charge forward the best I can without getting stuck in the mud, eyes darting back in forth on Regina's long hair bouncing side to side as she ran. And then I pounce on her. She lets out a yelp and we both fall to the ground. Regina lands face down in the mud with me on her back. She grunts as she turns her face to the side, showing that it's completely covered.

This makes me laugh so hard, "Regina...oh. Oh my god. I.." I couldn't even finish my sentence since my laughter kept interrupting. Regina glares but can't hold it long, my laughter causes her to laugh too.

We finally calm down and I look back down at her. Despite her dirty face, Regina still looked so beautiful. Only she could pull that off. "Remember how just a few minutes ago, you said I sucked?"

She wiggles her body underneath me, "Shut up smartass and get off me, would ya?" I re-adjust myself so that I was straddling her instead of lying against her.

I sigh, "But you're so comfy, I think I might stay here a while." I cross my arms and look out into the distance. It was a beautiful day, not too hot and definitely not too cold. The sun was warm and the small breeze felt amazing. I smile as I see my horses running wild in their pen. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be a horse, life would be simple and magical.

"Swan, I swear…" Regina mutters.

The back door to the house opens, me and Regina turn our faces to the familiar creaking of the door. My mother walks out and when she sees us, she lets out a small giggle, "Come on girls, I'm going to make lunch soon." She waves her hand, gesturing us to come inside.

I lean down and whisper in Regina's ear, "You got lucky...this time." She shivers and slaps my arm. I finally climb off of her and hold out my hands to help her up. She flops onto her back with a sigh and grabs them as I try to stifle a laugh, she looks even funnier at this direct angle.

When we walk in the door, a towel is the floor for us to put our shoes on. My mother doesn't mind a little mess, but I thinks it's safe to say it was more than a little this time.

I look up to see my mother silently laughing at us, "Can't you two go one day without getting covered in dirt?"

Regina smiles, her teeth looking extra white in contrast with her muddy face, "What fun would that be?"

I nod and point to Regina with my thumb, "She's got a point."

She shakes her head, "Go wash up and when you're done, lunch will be ready for you, okay?"

I grin, "Thanks mom!" I go in for a hug but she takes a step back, "Uh-uh. You're not hugging me like that!"

I wear a fake, pained expression, "What? Denying a hug from your only child? That just won't do." I take her by surprise and hug her anyways. Sometimes, I just don't know when to stop.

"Emma Swan! You know how much I love this dress!" She says, although she says that about _all_ of her dresses. Despite me getting her dirty, I feel her arms embrace me back. My mother is such a different kind of soul in this world, she's probably too good for the world to be honest.

"Love youuu!" I say in a teasing tone. She pulls back with one of her mom looks, "Yeah. Sure you do." She grabs a dish towel and dabs at her dress.

I kiss mom's cheek and grab Regina's hand, pulling her towards the bathroom. Regina says, "Your mom is too sweet. If I did that to my mom, I wouldn't be able to leave the house for a week!" She shudders. I'm sure she would get punished way worse than just 'not leaving the house'. Her mom was very strict and old-school. Although Regina won't admit it, she is afraid of her. I don't blame her, I'm scared of her too and I've never seen her go all mom mode yet. That's why we normally hang out at my house.

I sit on the toilet, "You can go first."

She shakes her head, "No way, I know you Emma. I'm not about to have you get me all dirty again after I just get clean. _You_ first." She crosses her arms. I wasn't winning this one. Regina could be as stern as her mother sometimes.

"I just did that with my mom. I'm satisfied for today, you really think I'd do it again?"

She raises an eyebrow at me, "Yes, I do actually."

"Oh fine." I smile anyways, I liked how Regina knew me so well. I run to my room to grab us both some of my clothes to wear. I pick out two pairs of joggers, and two t-shirts. I return to the bathroom and hold up the pants, "Blue or red?"

She ponders a bit, "Hmmm. Blue please. Red looks better on you."

I toss her the blue pants, "What are you talking about? You can literally make any color look incredible on you."

She blushes, "Hurry up, I'm starving." She points to the shower. I roll my eyes.

She sits on the toilet seat, scrolling through her phone as I undress for my shower. I jump in and close my eyes, sighing as the hot water hits my skin. Showers and baths are so nice, once I get in, I often never want to leave.

After I wash the dirt from my body and nails, I wash my hair with my cherry blossom shampoo and conditioner. Feeling satisfied, I grab my towel and wrap it around me. As I step out of the shower, I say, "You're up." I notice her face is now clean but everything else is still just as messy.

"Bout time." Regina stands up and walks close to me, leaning in and smelling my neck. She wasn't touching me but any further and she would be. It sent chills down my spine, "Mmm you smell nice, for once."

I flick her on the forehead, "Hey! I always smell nice, thank you very much."

She raises her eyebrow again and wears a smug expression, "Except that one time-"

I glare at her, "Yes I'm very aware of that! It haunts my dreams still. Thank you for that reminder you jerk." She was referring to the time when I fell off my horse and landed right in its crap. So yes, that day I did not smell so nice.

Regina laughs as she steps into the shower. After I'm dressed, I mock Regina and sit on the toilet seat with my phone in hand. I'm scrolling through twitter when I hear Regina humming a soft tune in the shower. I smile, sometimes I think I could be in love with her. I mean, I've been friends with her since the fourth grade, and here we are now, juniors in highschool and closer than ever.

The thing is, if she felt the same, I assume something would have happened by now. I barely understand my feelings myself, though. Besides, I adore our friendship and would never want to jeopardize that. At school, we sometimes get teased. Because of how close we are, it often seems as if we _are_ dating. Regina just tells them off and says something like, "You're just jealous you don't have as close of friendship with your friends the way we do!"

Which also is another indication that tells me how she sees our relationship: as close friends. But I'm not complaining, I'm so happy with how things are right now.

I hear the shower turn off and Regina emerges with a towel around her. "As much as I love getting dirty, I feel so much better right now."

"True, when it starts to harden on your skin, that's when it gets annoying." I say, nodding my head.

After she's dressed, we go to the kitchen, excited to eat.

XX

I lay in my bed, waiting for Regina to join me. She always takes so damn long in the bathroom. Finally, I hear the bathroom door open and Regina arrives all fresh-faced. Not that she wears much makeup to begin with. She climbs in beside me. "Goodnight, Swan."

"Night, Gina." I smile and turn off my light. When I close my eyes, my arm automatically goes around her waist and she curls in closer to me. It's always been this way, we're just so comfortable around each other to do these sort of things and not think much of it. It was such a nice feeling to know I have someone I can tell everything to and rely on for anything. Even though it seemed impossible, I hoped to God that this would never change.

But I was wrong.

 **| 11 Years Later |**

 **(Regina's POV)**

I stare down at the invitation in my hand, oh how the memories come back to me, just like that. I can't believe I was the person I was back in Storybrooke. I'm ashamed of that girl, at least that's how I was told to feel.

I feel arms wrap around my stomach, "Why do you look so disgusted right now?" Robin asks me with a chuckle.

I turn around in his arms and sigh, "See for yourself." I hand him the invitation.

He scans it quickly and looks up smiling, "Well this is nothing to be disgusted by! It's your 10-year reunion, this is so cool. My school doesn't even do this sort of stuff."

"I understand why, I mean what's the point?" I ask as I throw my hands in the air.

"What are you talking about? This should be exciting for you." Robin says.

I roll my eyes, "Yeah, right."

Robin lays a hand on my arm, "Let's go."

I'm shocked, "What?"

"Let's spend our vacation in Storybrooke and go to your reunion while we're there." He says, a bit too excited for my liking. Don't get me wrong, seeing him happy makes me happy, but not with this.

I hold my hands up, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. You're telling me you actually want to spend our _only_ vacation in Storybrooke, Maine so we can go to my stupid 10-year reunion?"

Robin nods, "And I would love to see where you grew up."

"Trust me, you really don't." I deadpan. _What if...what if I saw Emma there?_ I erase that thought from my mind and swallow hard.

He grabs my hands, "Please? We could spend half of vacation there and then figure out where to spend the other half later."

I want to reject and so badly. There's many many reasons why I don't want to go back there. A certain blonde in particular being one of them. Things didn't end so well and I don't want to deal with it, whatever 'it' may be. But also, I don't really want to think about the person I used to be, I am so much better now. Why take steps back when the better option is to move forward? I was going to insist not going but how could I say no to those puppy dog eyes? "Oh...alright." I regret my decision as soon as I speak it.

Robin smiles, "Yes! This is going to be good for you, I swear!"

I grin back, "With you, I'm sure it will be." He leans in and kisses me hard until I pull him to the bedroom.

XX

 **(Emma's POV)**

"Oh shit. Elsa, come here!" I yell in the apartment. Elsa is my roommate, we did go to school together but we were just friendly, not really friends. We ended up becoming really close in college, she really helped me get through some stuff. And the rest was history. We're basically opposites most of the time, but you know what they say about opposites.

Elsa appears in the kitchen, "What is it? Should I be worried?"

I shrug, "Depends how you felt about highschool."

Elsa looks confused, "Wait what?"

I put the invitation right in her face, "Storybrooke High is having a ten-year reunion." I honestly wasn't sure how I felt about this. High school was some of the best years of my life, and then some of the worst.

Elsa stares at the paper with wide eyes, then they finally meet mine, "It's really been ten years?"

I nod slowly, "Apparently. Damn I feel old."

Elsa scoffs, "No kidding. But don't because you look hot."

I smirk, "I mean, I suppose I can't disagree with you on that one."

Elsa chuckles, "Why do you make me regret every compliment I give you? Miss full-of-yourself."

"I much prefer the term 'self-love' or 'confidence'." I say with a grin. Elsa rolls her eyes. She sits in the kitchen chair with a spark in her eye, "Speaking of hot, we have to look good for this. Show all those bastards in school what they missed out on."

Emma frowns slightly, for the first time in a while, she thinks of Regina. Would she even be there? Probably not based on how she ended things. Yeah, maybe I don't have to worry, she probably won't even come. I mean how weird would that be if she did, I don't even know what I'd say. I wonder if she looks the same? I wond-

Elsa's hand shakes in front of my face, "Emma, where'd you go?"

Thankful for the interruption, I say, "Thinking about stupid things from the past. But yeah, you're right. Let's look good for this, like really fucking good."

"Hell yeah, that's what I'm talking about." Elsa spins around with excitement, "We need to go shopping!" She runs to her room and shortly returns with her purse.

"Wait, now?" I ask with questioning eyebrows.

"Yesss. Come on!" Elsa says as she clings to my arm. I hate shopping but I suppose this time I wouldn't get away with saying what I have in my closet already will work. This was a bit special.

I sigh, "Fine, let me get my wallet."

Not only was I dreading the shopping trip, but I was also dreading the reunion itself. Sure, I'm excited for it too, I mean I get to see how everyone has grown and if they're married. And maybe my favorite teachers will be there too which would be great. But there's one single person that is making said dread come through, and that's Regina. Even though it's unlikely she would even go, you just never know with these things.

I start to feel a little uneasy. What if I go and she's there? What if I go and I feel the same pain I felt the year we graduated?

I return to where Elsa was waiting and smile. No, I won't let myself feel that pain. That was years ago and I have someone who wouldn't do what Regina did to me. I link my arm through Elsa's and we head to my car.

Hopefully though, Regina would continue to stay away from Storybrooke.

 **So, is this something I should continue? Let me know your thoughts! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Good is Gone**

 **Hello! IMPORTANT MESSAGE: So guys, for those who are worried, the only person I truly ship with Regina is Emma. I put Robin in here because...well let's just say Robin won't have much luck on his side in this story. So because I do not ship Outlawqueen, it made it easier to put Robin in a bad position you know? And no, there will be no bedroom scenes of Robin and Regina, those scenes are only for our lovely ladies of course :)**

 **So sit back, relax, and KEEP SHIPPING SWANQUEEN. (And nothing against OQ. I respect all ships!)**

I walk out in the umpteenth dress hoping Elsa would approve but when I look into her eyes, I see the same disappointment. I groan out in frustration, "Okay, I'm done. I will just wear what I have."

Elsa rushes over to me and grabs my arm, "No! We are finding you the perfect dress, just please a few more?"

I roll my eyes, "Fine. But since clearly nothing I pick is working out, can _you_ just bring me some?"

She nods enthusiastically and rushes out of the dressing room area. I shake my head, how does one get so excited about this stuff? Maybe it's because Elsa has such great luck with shopping. She literally picked out three dresses and liked the second one she tried on. Wish it was always that simple.

Her dress was a pale, blue dress that flowed to the floor. It had studded, thick, tank top sleeves that were a darker shade of blue and she looked absolutely gorgeous in it. It really suited her and brought out her blue eyes.

Meanwhile, I'm standing in a pretty white dress that just so happens to make me look like a box.

Elsa comes scurrying back with a few more dresses. "Thank you." I say as I grab them from her arms. The first one looked funny because the sleeves were sort of loose at the top. The second one honestly I just didn't like, it was a mermaid style dress but I don't really like them on me. The third dress was decent, it fit nice and it was pretty. But something about it just didn't make me say: this is the one.

Elsa frowns, "Who knew you'd be so picky about this stuff."

I cross my arms, "I know. I surprised myself honestly. I'll just wear this one." I say as I gesture to the violet dress I was in.

Elsa shakes her head, "No, you can't just settle! It has to be something you truly like."

"I don't know," I say as I shrug.

Just then a worker with short red hair passes by, coming to collect the dresses people ended up not wanting. She says, "I couldn't help but overhear your troubles. Why are you dress shopping today?"

I lick my lips, "It's our ten-year reunion and we really wanted to look great for it. My friend found something amazing but I'm having a hard time."

"I see, well I can try picking some things out for you. Do you have anything you'd prefer specifically?"

I think to myself. To be honest, I just wanted to grab a bunch and try them on until I found the right one, but clearly that didn't work. "Ummm, maybe just something that matches my eyes? And something not too tight." I blush about the eye part, it's just ever since I saw Elsa's make her eyes pop, I wanted the same thing to happen to me.

The woman comes closer, probably looking at my eyes, and smiles. "Actually, we just brought in this gorgeous emerald green dress yesterday, it's still in the back. I will go grab it for you if you'd like?"

Can't hurt to try I suppose. "Sure, thank you." I give her a small smile and slip out of the purple dress. This one will be my backup. I give the other two dresses to Elsa so she can hang them on the rack.

The red-head arrives shortly with this stunning green dress. I hold it in my hands and gawk at it for a few seconds. I'm actually _excited_ to try this one on. Weird huh? I zip the dress up as far as I can reach and turn towards the mirror with my eyes closed. I don't know why I'm being so dramatic, I just don't want my good feeling about this dress to be wrong.

I sigh and open my eyes. It was as pretty on as it was off. It had a slightly plunging neckline and long sleeves. The sleeve texture resembled Elsa's with it's studded green gems all over them and the top of the dress. The skirt part of the dress was plain chiffon and flowed down just above the floor. It fit perfectly. I smile as I open the dressing room door, "Elsa, it's perfect!"

Elsa's eyes widen, "Emma, you look stunning! You _have_ to get it. And can I just say, the last time I remember you in a nice dress was our prom _._ "

I shrug, "You know dresses aren't my thing. And it's funny you say that because this does feel a lot like prom day."

"Doesn't it? Although I suppose that makes sense. Isn't the reunion theme always the theme of senior prom?"

I think back to the invitation and it indeed said: 'Happily Ever After' which was our theme for senior prom, "Oh yeah, it is. I forgot about that." I remember how cool the decorations were, it was as if I was in a storybook of fairy tales.

"I can't wait! Alright, hurry up and change because next is shoes!" Elsa says as she claps her hands together. I shut the door with a groan, I forgot about shoes.

XX

 **| 1 week later |**

 **(Regina's POV)**

Robin and I have settled at my mother's place. I was going to go to Granny's but as soon as I told my mother I was coming to Storybrooke, she insisted we stay in the guest room at my old home. Being in this house brought even more memories to my mind and I didn't like it. Luckily, this house was massive and I wouldn't have to go near my bedroom that was mine as a child. My mother always said she would keep it untouched.

So that room was definitely not one I'll be entering anytime soon.

I stretch my arms and get into bed, Robin was already asleep. But me? I barely felt tired. Probably the nerves. And the environment.

It's grand seeing my mother, although usually she comes to me in Boston, not the other way around. But it's not so grand being here, and I can't believe it's for two weeks. But maybe everything will be alright. Hell, maybe Emma moved a long time ago and won't go tomorrow.

I could only hope that's what will happen. If I don't see her tomorrow, there's still a chance of running into her in Storybrooke. That is if she even still lives here. I really have no idea what to expect. Seeing her will take me back to a time I've long forgotten about, a time where I was a different person. A time where I should have been better, to myself _and_ to her to be quite honest.

Don't get me wrong, I had some good times here growing up. But when I think Storybrooke, I think of Emma and the person I used to be. I also think about what I did to her and just feel guilty about it - even after ten years later. Maybe I should say something to her? That scares the hell out of me but I feel like I owe her that. Ugh, I just don't know!

I sigh. I can't think like this though, it will only make tomorrow more difficult. I have to look at the better side of things, the enjoyable parts of reunions like this. At least that's what Robin would suggest. So that's what I'll do.

I have a pretty incredible gown. It's a form fitting, black dress that's floor-length. It has a heart-shaped lining at the top and off the shoulder sleeves. It's quite elegant. I'm probably going to do my usual makeup, red lipstick looks great with pretty much everything after all.

As for my hair, it's not that long so I'll probably just add a few waves throughout it. I smile, dressing up is always sort of exciting. I love dresses so getting to wear one so fancy makes me happy.

I think tomorrow is going to be okay. I'm sure there will be a ton of people to distract myself if Emma is there (if needed) and of course I have Robin.

Yes. It's definitely going to be alright. I kiss Robin's cheek and turn out the light.

XX

 **(Emma's POV)**

Tomorrow is our reunion and I'm so nervous. Ever since I got the invitation, I've been thinking about Regina. I really don't want to face her. I know having Elsa with me will help immensely but I don't know if her being there will shield the possible pain that may come through. I'm going to try and be strong, I mean it's one night. Only a few hours. How hard could that be?

I've been avoiding this all week but it's been eating at me so I have to look. I go the my closet and move some boxes until I find one near the back with my old photo albums in it. I haven't opened these since the year we lost touch.

I lug the box to my bed and sit down, wrapping my fuzzy blanket around myself. I slowly rub my hand on the lid of the box, wiping off the thin layer of dust. I guess this was my way of stalling. I let out a long breath of air and take out the first album. This was one of our first years of friendship I believe, since we looked so young. I laugh a bit to myself at our crooked smiles and messy faces. Oh how we loved getting messy.

I flip through a little more and find the first pictures of us riding my horses. Even though they were mine and I've ridden a little longer than Regina at this point, I remember how natural it was for her. It was like she belonged on a horse. She got better than me in a matter of weeks, it was truly amazing. Although almost anything she did was amazing.

I keep going through more and more photos, and it was surprisingly really nice. I was trying to focus on the light side of things instead of venturing to the dark end.

It wasn't until I go to one of the last pictures in the most recent album that really makes me feel sad. We are both wearing flannels, we loved twinning. My thumb rubs over Regina's face. I'm smiling into the camera in this picture but Regina isn't, she's smiling at me. The look in her eyes, the admiration and...it's just how could things have ended the way they did?

It was something I never got to find out. Something that broke me so badly. I feel a tear escape my eye and slam the album shut. Oh god, maybe this will be too hard. Damn her for making me feel this way even after all these years. I run a hand through my hair and flip on the tv. I usually sleep without it but I needed to be distracted tonight in order to fall asleep.

XX

10:00 am: I wake up and feel confident. I eat a light breakfast with Elsa- toast and a banana. Then I wash my face and brush my teeth. I can do this.

1:22 pm: My beautiful dress is on making me feel fierce and on top. I pair it with a fancy gold choker and dangly gold earrings. But my stomach has a little bit of nerves swirling through it. I can do this, though.

3:06 pm: My hair is now finished, I decided to go with an elegant, teased ponytail. I put a small bump on my head and pulled some short pieces down by my face to add some shape to it. My throat is a bit dry considering the reunion is in a few hours. Don't think about Regina. I can do this.

4:15 pm: My makeup is done, I needed a good bit of time for this considering I never do heavy makeup. I messed up way too many times on my eyeliner wings but other than that, it went well. I put on a very neutral shade of eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, concealer, a little foundation, and a light shade of pink lipstick that wasn't much different from the actual color of my lips.

Not to sound cocky but I looked good! I could never wear this much makeup or put all that time into my hair on a daily basis but I must say, it's fun to see myself like this once in a while.

I wonder if Regina would think so too. Damn it. First of all, why should I even care what she thinks? And second, just no. Screw her. This night is not about her, it's about remembering the past and seeing people from high school and how everything's changed. But the thing is...Regina was high school. She was all that mattered back then. And now? She's a complete stranger to me. How the fuck does that just happen?

Suddenly I feel as if I need to sit down. I feel myself getting way too nervous and my palms start to sweat. Oh god, I _can't_ do this!

4:48 pm: I can't. No way in hell am I going. But I can't just not go now, I bought this dress and got all ready. Plus, part of me doesn't want to miss out on something like this, it only happens once. If it wasn't for her, everything would be alright. So now, I'm sitting on the toilet, contemplating what the best option is.

I look up as a hear a light knock on the door, "Emma? I'm all ready. How are you doing?"

I sigh and open the door. "Wow, you look gorgeous, Elsa!" And she really did, she put her hair in a half up, half down style and gave it loose curls. Her eyeshadow consisted on shades of purple and she had light red lips.

"Me? Look at you!" Her eyes went from my hair, to my face, and then down my dress.

I smile, "Thanks, girl."

Elsa must have seen something in me though because she asks, "Hey, are you good?"

I wanted to say yes and that I was fine but honestly, there's no point in lying. If Regina is there, I honestly don't know how I'll act so I mine as well tell Elsa. Also, I'm a terrible liar as it is.

I sigh once again, "Kind of. It's just...okay how do I put this...so you know that period in my life I told you about? That time where for months I couldn't eat and stuff?"

Her eyes widen, "How could I not? That was awful. I saw it too that first month of college, you were so skinny and you always looked so sad. I honestly thought you didn't want anything to do with anyone but when I said something to you, you were still just as friendly to me as you were in high school." I nod, and she was right, it was pretty bad.

Regina affected me in ways I never thought I'd see myself. Ever. I was always a happy, positive, look-on-the-bright-side kind of person. But Regina managed to find a way to break me.

After she left and I realized it was for forever, I got really depressed. I started hurting myself to make it go away, I couldn't eat, I thought about death. It may seem strange to do all that over friendship but by that time, I basically knew her my whole life. How does one not act that way when they go from spending time with someone every single day practically to suddenly nothing? And with no explanation?

I kept asking myself, what did I do wrong?

"Yeah well I never really told you why. You never asked which I was grateful for but I feel as if I should tell you since it kind of makes this night complicated." I look down at my feet.

Elsa grabs my hand and rubs it, "Yeah of course. Whenever you're ready."

"It's Regina. Regina Mills." I stop because I want to see if she remembers.

"Oh yeah, you two used to be so close!"

"Yeah, we were. Like insanely close. And well, a few weeks after graduation, she just…left. She didn't tell me why or that she was even leaving. I called her and texted her _so_ many times. I even stopped at her house and tried talking to her mom. No one ever answered. One time, her mom even saw me and still, she didn't even open the door.

I kept calling and texting but eventually, the number was changed. It was at that point I realized she wanted nothing to do with me. It was the hardest moment of my life." My eyes water and I blink them away so my makeup doesn't get smudged.

Elsa looks at me with sad eyes, "That's so cruel. How could someone just do that? I knew you guys kind of drifted apart but I didn't know that was the reason for your depression. But I totally understand why." She shakes her head.

"Yeah, and it's unlikely she'll even be there tonight but if she is, I…" I trail off because I don't know what will happen.

"If she is, I will help you through it. I will stick by your side the entire night, okay?" Elsa finishes for me.

I pull her into a tight hug as I say, "Thank you." God, I'm so grateful for her. Elsa was always so understanding.

"Anything for you, babe. I know you'd do the same." She smiles. I return it, "Of course I would."

"You ready?" She asks. I bite my lip and nod. And off we went.

XX

We arrive about 15 minutes early as the reunion starts at 6. But it seems many people were already here. I open the door and since I'm not used to my hair being so high, I bump it on the top of the car on the way out. I scoff and adjust my ponytail. Elsa links her arm through mine and we go to the doors of our high school.

Memories came flooding back. I remember me and Regina would sit on these steps and talk about anything and everything as we waited for our parents to pick us up. I shake away the thought and keep my head high.

I can do this.

 **First, thanks for your feedback so far! Much appreciated. Before I started writing and would just read fics, writers always said that helps so much and I never realized that until I wrote my own stories. So now, I am trying to review every story I read! And you guys should too! (Doesn't have to be mine of course) but go out there and make someone's day! :) Thanks guys!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Reunion Day**

 **Thanks for the feedback so far, love hearing from you guys. Enjoy :)**

As soon as we walk in, we are greeted by one of my favorite teachers, Mrs. Delle. Well more like, _I'm_ greeted. Elsa and her never really got along. I smile at her with wide eyes, "Mrs. Delle, hello!"

She beams back at me and pulls me into a hug, "Emma! How wonderful to see you and please, call me Ingrid."

I shake my head, "Right of course, that's weird to get used to."

She laughs, "So how are you? What are you doing now? Tell me everything!"

I grin at her eagerness, "Well, I'm doing quite well. I'm actually still here in Storybrooke and I work with my father as the sheriff."

She is wide-mouthed. She was always so dramatic in class, looks like she hasn't changed. Which is good, I loved being in her class, "You've been here this whole time and never visited me?" She has a hurt expression which is obviously a joke but I still feel bad not coming to see her once. I was her student assistant every year in highschool.

"Uh...I didn't think people actually did that or else I would have…" I mumble awkwardly.

She lays a hand on my arm, "Hey, that's quite alright. It made this time more special right?"

I nod, "Exactly." Leave it to Ingrid to always being such an optimist.

"So I didn't know you were the sheriff?"

"Well, it just happened a few months ago. And since I'm so new, I've been handling paperwork mostly. Besides, Storybrooke doesn't really have many problems as it is. Are you still teaching English?"

She nods, "I am. I still love it as much as I did when you were in school. Maybe even more in fact. It just doesn't get old."

I smile, "That's wonderful. Well it was great seeing you, I will make sure to say bye before I go."

She grins back, "You too, Emma!" I'm relieved she didn't ask about Regina. Everyone in school knew that wherever I was, Regina was there too. We were a duo that rarely separated.

I turn around and notice Elsa is making a plate at the table with tons of food and beverages.

I haven't seen Regina yet although it's only been ten minutes. The thing is, at least in the past, she was never late. Her mom made sure of it and eventually, she hated being late too. So this reassures me that maybe she isn't coming after all. I relax a bit and approach the table beside Elsa.

I pour us both some punch and hand a cup to her. "Thanks, Emma." She says with a smile.

I smile back and take the punch like a shot to quench my dry throat from the damn nerves earlier. I pour myself a second cup but take this more slowly, I look over at Elsa staring at me funny.

She chuckles, "Are you alright?"

I sigh, "Actually, I think I am."

Elsa looks satisfied, "Thank god. I hate seeing you stressed."

"Same, which is why I didn't mention to Mrs. Delle that I was living with you."

She shakes her head, "God, I hated her. And she hated me, I honestly don't remember why though."

I snort, "Because you always acted up in that class, even I remember that."

"True but I don't know what started it, she freaking loved you, though." Elsa rolls her eyes.

Before I can reply, someone says, "Oh my god, Emma? Elsa?"

Both of us turn our heads and see that it's Ariel. For me, we weren't friends but we got along well when we happened to talk to each other. We did do a project together and had a great time, but really the only person I was friends with was Regina. Elsa though was close to Ariel in our early years of highschool.

I smile, "Hey Ariel! You look amazing!" She was in a pale purple sleeveless dress that stopped just above her knees. Her face was unmistakable but instead of brown hair, she now had bright red hair which was in luscious waves tonight.

I give her a hug and she says, "You too. Shit, I don't think you even aged."

I blush slightly and wave it off as if to say 'yeah right'. Elsa hugs her too saying, "Wow, it's been too long! And your hair looks amazing by the way."

"Thanks, Elsa! Remember, I always told you I would do it! You said I didn't have the guts." She states with crossed arms.

Elsa laughs, "Because you didn't! I honestly thought you would show up with a wig just to try and prove me wrong."

Ariel brings a hand to her mouth while giggling, "I almost did. I pulled it off right before the bus came and chucked it in the garden!" We all laugh as a man I don't know grabs Ariels hand. Ariel informs us that it's her husband, Eric. He's in the navy and she was thankful that he was able to be here tonight.

I'm never this bold but I was actually having a great time talking to Ariel and her husband. "We all should do something sometime. Where are you now, Ariel?"

"I live in Lewiston and yes we definitely should!"

"Oh wow, that's really not that far from Storybrooke. What like 40 minutes?" Elsa asks.

Ariel nods, "Yeah around there. Here, I'll give you my number." Elsa and Ariel dig around for their phones so they can exchange numbers. I was going to pull mine out too when I feel a gaze on me. Not even from my peripheral vision, it was one of those things that was pure feeling. I swallow hard and turn around.

And time is frozen. I stare into those brown eyes, those same big brown eyes I knew for nine years. That's...her? She sort of looked the same but didn't. She had dark makeup on and her hair was now short. She was an absolute vision in her elegant black gown. A vision that reminded me of the worst time of my life.

I suddenly feel nauseous. I finally break our gaze and rush out of the gymnasium. I sit down on the stairs outside, ignoring the small chill. Luckily there isn't anyone else out here at the moment as I attempt to get my breathing under control.

I knew this would be too much, I knew this would be too hard. This was a mistake. How am I supposed to do anything now knowing she's here? I was hoping I could just be an adult through this and at least be able to be in the same room without freaking out. But I just can't, it still hurts too much which is insane considering the amount of time that has passed.

I close my eyes and focus on my breathing. Everything will be okay. Like I said before, it will only be for a few hours and then she will be gone. Yeah.

I continue this for several minutes when I hear the door open behind me. "Emma?" It was barely audible but I knew it was her. Her voice was deeper than from when I knew her but it was still so familiar. Butterflies invaded my stomach. Why did she follow me out here, damn it. Although I did make it pretty obvious. I clench my fists and finally open my eyes. Then I turn my head, I once again make eye contact with those brown eyes that now had a hint of fear in them and maybe even...guilt?

I stand up and hold my head high. My breathing is the only thing I hear, my nerves attacking my stomach is the only thing I feel. It's been so long since I've been this close to her, just inches away. The tension is almost overpowering.

I clear my throat and rub my clammy hands down my dress, "I have nothing to say to you." My voice came out much stronger than I felt and I had to hold back my smile because of that.

She frowns and looks down at her feet while tucking her hair behind her ear. It was something she did when she was nervous or upset. Well good, she deserved to be upset. She opens her mouth but then closes it. That makes sense because what could she possibly have to say right now?

With that, I step past her, and back into the gymnasium. I handled that better than I expected. I thought I would break down and part of me deep down wanted to. I wanted to ask her why she left me and what I did wrong. But I just don't think it's worth it. Maybe years ago but not now, not anymore. Regina is just a lost memory and I think I finally might be able to accept that.

Besides, I'm pretty sure the amount of shock I'm experiencing right now is preventing me from lashing out.

I step beside Elsa who is talking to Mr. Hopper, our former counselor. When she's finished talking, me and Mr. Hopper exchange our hellos and give updates on our lives. When he leaves, Elsa turns to me, "Where did you go? I gave Ariel my number and you were gone." Her voice and her eyes were full of concern.

I rub my hands together, "I saw her."

Her eyes widen, "Regina?"

I nod, "It was really weird. I saw her and I just lost it for a second and rushed outside. She...followed me."

"Holy shit!" Elsa whispers. Then she speaks normal, "What happened, what did she say?"

I shrug, "Well nothing really, and I kept it short with her. I told her I didn't have anything to say to her and just walked away."

Elsa looks at me with pride, "You handled that so well. Better than I would have! But I can't believe I wasn't there with you." She gives my arm a gentle squeeze.

"It's okay, I think that was good. I think it was something I needed to be alone for. She, for some reason, looked as if she might say something to me. Who knows what but nothing she says will make me feel better about what happened between us. I just want to avoid her the rest of the night and then she will be gone. So please, stay with me until this night is over okay?"

Elsa places her hands on my shoulders, "I'm not going anywhere. You know you are one of the strongest people I know right?"

I blush, "Oh stop. But thank you." It is then I notice the group of people dancing to the cupid shuffle. "Let's dance!" Elsa chuckles as I roughly pull her to the dance floor.

XX

I slip on some fuzzy socks and grab one of my favorite books - East of Eden by John Steinbeck. Before I open it though, I think about the reunion. After I saw Regina on the steps...oh god she looked absolutely beautiful by the way. Not that it's important but that thought keeps swirling through my mind. Anyways, after that intense moment, the reunion wasn't too bad.

I made myself clear and I think she was trying to respect that (thank god). Elsa and I would catch her looking every so often and when we did, she would quickly look away towards who I assume is her husband. Other than that, she didn't attempt to talk to me again.

And now, I never have to see her again either. Part of me is relieved, I knew if I dove too deep tonight, I would probably get hurt again considering she's only here for a day. But I also have regret, there's just so many things I don't understand and I hate it. I wanted to say so much but I couldn't bring myself to do so. I didn't want to feel that pain again, the pain I was starting to feel last night as I looked through my old photo albums.

This kind of pain...it's unbearable and it led me to do awful things to myself. I refuse to go down that path again so I push my feelings out and ignore them the best I can. It will only get easier now since I got the hard part of seeing her over with. It was like a tiny, miniscule rewind and now I can move forward again.

I did it. And I actually had a great time. It was cool seeing everyone all grown up. A lot of the stupid, immature boys now had children of their own or spouses that they loved. The class bully, Cru, wasn't so mean anymore. At least she wasn't tonight. She was such a bitch in highschool but now she actually has her own charity dedicated to endangered animals. I would have never seen that coming. I love seeing these amazing changes in people who I doomed hopeless back then. And those were just a couple of examples.

Overall, it was a great night. I smile to myself and pick up where I left off in my book.

XX

 **(Regina's POV)**

I sit outside on the porch, sipping on some bitter red wine and thinking about Emma. When I first saw her at the reunion, I just couldn't believe it. And wow, she sure has... _grown._ And what the hell was she doing with Elsa? They were never that close before.

My mother is asleep already, which is a huge relief. I don't want her breathing down my neck in an attempt to pull out every detail of what I'm feeling and why. That's never fun.

The door opens and Robin comes out with a cup of tea in his hands. "Uh-oh. You're drinking wine with that _look_ on your face. What's the matter?"

He sets down his tea and sits beside me on the porch swing.

I sigh, "You ever mess something up pretty badly because you thought it was your only choice at the time but then you come to realize you had a choice all along, and you chose the worst one possible?"

He frowns, "I'm not sure I understand, where is this coming from?" He asks as his hand rests on my thigh.

"Oh nevermind." I didn't feel like explaining something he probably would never truly understand.

His hand on my thigh goes to my free hand, "No talk to me, does this having something to do with the reunion?"

"Yes." I breathe out and take a long sip of wine.

"Is that why you didn't want to come to Storybrooke?"

I pause. Telling him the truth would just make things more complicated than they already are. "Of course not." I lie. "The reunion reminded me of something stupid from my past but it's alright. It doesn't matter anymore, I'm just being over-sensitive." Another lie. It _did_ matter, a lot.

"Well, if that's all it is, then I can sleep peacefully. You ready?" He asks me with a glint in his eye. I know he doesn't want to sleep right away and instead do more enjoyable activities but I just have way too much on my mind. And the alcohol isn't helping.

"I think I'll stay out here a little longer, the night chill is refreshing. But you go ahead, I won't be long." I inform him. He looks a little hurt that I want to be alone but he doesn't push me. I'm thankful for that because who knows what might come out of my mouth if he pushed me.

"Okay. Love you." He gives me a peck on the lips.

"Love you too." I say back and watch him grab his tea before returning inside. I pour more wine into my glass. This was going to be a long night.

I wake up feeling exhausted. I could have sworn I just went to sleep, I'm sure I have bags for days under my eyes.

I stretch my arms and let out a yawn. I head to the bathroom where Robin is brushing his teeth, "Morning, how did you sleep?"

"How do you think?" I say with irritation as I point to my face.

He rinses his mouth before saying, "What did I do?" He mocks the same irritation.

I sigh, "You didn't do anything, sorry. I'm just exhausted, that's all." What I didn't say is that Emma was the cause of said exhaustion.

"Your mother offered to take us out to breakfast, what do you say?"

The thought of going out to eat with him and my mother right now makes me even more exhausted. Ever since last night, I feel like I need to talk to Emma. What I'm going to say to her, I have no idea. All I know is that I need to talk.

"Umm actually, I have some errands to run." I say quickly. I grab my face wash and slowly start scrubbing my face.

Robin furrows his brow, "You have errands? What could you possibly have to do on our second day here?"

The urge I have to beat my head on a wall right now is no joke, "I...want to make you a nice dinner and mother doesn't have all of the ingredients." That's all I could think of in that amount of time. Luckily, I love cooking so it's actually quite believable.

I rinse and dry my face. Then I grab my toothbrush.

"We can go together then." Oh Robin.

"Nonsense, I want it to be a surprise."

He licks his lips, "Mmm I bet you're planning something delicious if it's going to be a surprise. Alright, I suppose I will just relax here until you come home." He goes to a chair in the bedroom with a newspaper in hand.

I go to the bathroom to slip on some trousers and a matching blazer. I fix my hair quick and do my makeup as fast as possible. If I don't go now, I may never end up going. When I'm fully ready, I walk over and kiss him briefly, "Goodbye, I won't be gone too long." Which may or may not be true.

"You better not!" He calls after me as I exit the bedroom towards the front door. I hop into my Mercedes-Benz and drive to Emma's old home in hopes of her mother being there.

XX

I'm nervous. I've been sitting in my car for a few minutes, tempted to back out completely. How much did her mother even know of the situation? She could hate me as much as Emma does. But, I suppose the only way of knowing for sure is by talking to her personally. Here goes nothing.

I exit the car and tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. I walk up the stairs to the door that was basically the entrance to my second home growing up. I swallow thickly and knock.

A few short moments later, the door opens to Mary Margaret. She pretty much looked the same aside from looking slightly aged. She still had that pixie cut of hers and was still so beautiful and pure.

She looks at me with a shocked expression, "Regina?"

I give her a nervous smile, "Hi...um I'm sorry to arrive so out of the blue." My voice is trembling slightly making me grimace.

MM looks confused, "What-what are you doing here?"

I lick my lips, "I was wondering if uh...if Emma was here. I really need to talk to her." MM's frown was not a good sign.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

So she does know. Which means I'm basically fucked. "Please, this is really important." I try anyways.

MM hesitates, she looks as though she's lost in thought. Probably debating what she should do here. "Come in, Emma isn't here but I want to talk to you first."

I nod and gulp down what little saliva I have left in my dry throat. When I walk inside, I have to stop. It smelled exactly the same, and looks how I remembered it looking 10 years ago.

"Would you like a drink?"

"Sure, water is just fine." I take a seat at the kitchen table, choosing the chair I always sat in as a teenager. MM sits across from me after handing me a glass of water. I take a big sip as I wait for her to speak.

"Why now?"

I sigh, "I saw her last night. I saw the pain in her eyes...I feel like I owe her this."

MM shakes her head, "Maybe years ago but not now. It's been too long...it seems pointless now."

My head falls into my hands for a brief second. When I bring it back up I say, "It can't be. It can't be pointless. Not when she is still affected by it, not when _I'm_ still affected by it. I have to make it right and if something tells me there's even a tiny chance of that being possible, I want to try."

She stills looks unconvinced. I don't blame her though. "Look, I'm not saying I'm trying to come back into her life. That's not it at all. I just want to apologize."

MM narrows her eyes, "Apologize because you're actually sorry or apologize just to take some of the guilt off _your_ back? You put her through hell you know."

"Both I guess. I _am_ sorry. I always was! I just...things got complicated and I didn't know what to do. But I'm here now, late yes. Very late. But it's still something, isn't it?" I feel so pathetic, looking at her and talking to her with desperation. It's just, the more I talk and think about this, the more important it is to me. It surprised me how much I needed to do this. I thought overtime since I blocked it out of my life, I thought it made me almost forget. But no, it's like it happened yesterday.

MM stares at me for the longest time. She could be the sweetest thing but could intimidate someone just like that. She finally gets up in silence and goes into the living room. I have no idea what this means but at least she didn't kick me out or anything...yet.

She returns shortly afterwards and slides me a piece of paper with an address on it. "It's Emma's address. She's most likely home with her roomate, Elsa."

I breathe out the breath I was holding, "Thank you." It came out as a whisper.

She nods and I take that as my cue to go, she probably wasn't interested in small talk. Not with me.

I get into my car and drive a bit recklessly if I have to be honest. This whole thing was making me jittery, my whole body had goosebumps and my palms were slightly damp.

When I get to the apartment building, it was different than expected. I thought it would be one of the tall apartment buildings but it was actually the ones that were only 2 floors high. So it was like a bunch of 2-story houses connected to each other.

Now or never, I think to myself.

I walk to the correct number and clear my throat. I breathe in and out for a few seconds and move my hand to the door. But it just hovers there, I can't pull away but I also can't knock. I'm stuck in the middle.

I'm already here, I need to do this. I knock three times. Each second that passes by feels like hours and it's taking a lot of strength not to turn back around. Suddenly the door opens, causing me to jump.

I look into the blonde's green eyes. Her surprised face expression suddenly turns into anger.

"What are you doing here?" She asks through clenched teeth. It was then I knew my apology was probably going to do absolutely nothing. And now, here I am, at a loss for words.

Well, fuck.

 **Oh no! What will go down with Emma and Regina here? Let me know what you thought of this chapter. Also, internet people are the** _ **coolest**_ **people. I've already met some really awesome people (you know who you are haha) and it's so nice just to talk to them! So, if you ever want to talk and I mean about anything, message me anytime! Alright, that's all for now!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Taking Chances**

 **Hello :) Thanks for your continued support.**

 **Jas: To answer your question, no Emma is not overweight. Right now, Emma is how we normally see her in Once - her regular weight. But in those months where she couldn't eat, she was pretty** _ **underweight**_ **. That's why Elsa commented about how skinny she looked back then. Thanks for asking and I hope that helped!**

 **And (since I can't thank you personally) thank you guest reviewers for your input! Very awesome to see.**

 **Alrighty, enjoy the next update!**

 **(Emma's POV)**

When I hear a knock at the door, I'm a bit surprised considering I wasn't expecting anyone today. I told Elsa - who was making some cookies in the kitchen - that I would grab it.

My surprise only grows when I see just who is at the door. And suddenly, I'm livid. "What are you doing here?" I ask, teeth and fists clenched tight.

Why is she here? She should have been gone by now, right? That would make sense considering she hasn't been to Storybrooke in years. And didn't I make myself clear yesterday? I was so strong, I kept it together because I thought she would only be there for that night. But now, now she's here and I don't know if I can maintain that same control.

One thing I learned in that moment was that it was easier to expose anger rather than pain.

Regina looks at me with deer eyes, then sadness takes over them. She licks her lips nervously as her eyes dart all over my face, "I...this was dumb. I shouldn't have come here." She says and turns around just like that.

I couldn't believe this, she really has the nerve to actually do this right now? I step outside fully and shut the door, only moving forward down the three steps from my door, "Of course. Just run away. Run away without any explanation like you always do!" I am so pissed off right now.

Her hands go to her forehead and slide back through her hair, she turns around and raises her voice, "It's all I know how to do!"

I walk forward more so I'm right in front of her. I poke her chest near her right shoulder, "That's bullshit and you know it! You can't tell me you can't even have a fucking conversation with me right now!"

"What's the point? You probably won't take the time to understand anyways, clearly that's how this is going to go down." The vein in her forehead pops out slightly.

I laugh hysterically, "Time? I spent _years_ trying to understand why you completely cut me off but could never get anywhere because you never even gave me a clue, not one clue!" I could feel frustrated tears starting to form, but I was too angry to worry about them.

"I-" She starts but I don't let her finish.

"Do you have _any_ idea what you put me through?" My tears fall from my eyes thinking about it. "I-I couldn't eat for months, I cut myself constantly and almost ended up in the hospital. I hated myself and I wanted to die, Regina. And _you_ did that to me!" I wipe at my soaked cheeks.

Regina looked absolutely stunned, she seemed like she was frozen in time, "I...I had no idea. I'm so sorry. I'm so fucking sorry." Her eyes start to water and her lips tremble.

I shake my head, "No you aren't and of course you had no idea. You never bothered to talk to me ever again. So just go, Regina. Go back to what you truly want." I say as I push her which causes her to stumble backwards a few steps. "Go back to your perfect, fancy life with your perfect husband."

I barely hear her voice, "Emma, there's something you should know...if you would just let me explai-"

I hold up my hand, "I said go. I'm done." I turn on my heel and charge back into the house. I don't look back. I walk past Elsa - ignoring her questions - and into my bedroom. I slam and lock the door and flop onto my bed, trying desperately not to break into sobs.

XX

 **(Regina's POV)**

I wipe at my red eyes before exiting my car, walking in defeat back to the house. I can't even fathom what I put Emma through. I'm a monster. I almost killed her for god's sake! What is wrong with me? No wonder she reacted the way to she did, and I deserve it all.

When I walk through the kitchen, my mother asks, "Honey, you're very red-faced right now. I would probably suggest a facial soon."

I scoff, "Mother, I don't have time for this. Especially not from _you._ " I knew if I kept looking at her, I would get incredibly angry.

Her eyebrows shoot up to her forehead, "Excuse me? Just because you're an 'adult' doesn't give you any right to speak so rudely to your own mother."

I gulp as her harsh tone brings back intense memories. I get my next sentence out as best as I can, "I'm sorry, mother. I'm just not feeling too well. I think I'm going to lie down and when I awaken, I'm sure I can speak to you in a better manner."

Mother is satisfied and nods her head. Then she continues cutting veggies for lunch.

I tread to the bedroom where I find Robin watching a movie. He says, "Hey, babe. Need help with the groceries?"

"Groceries?" Why would he ask - oh. Right.

He frowns, "That was why you left…"

"I didn't get them." I didn't know what to say.

He pauses the movie and sits up, "Okay, first you were being weird last night but I was just going to let that slide but now it's this. What the hell is wrong with you?" He asks with frustration. God I hate when he assumes shit like that.

I try to mask my annoyance and sit in the chair by the bed, "It's what I was telling you last night. I had a friend from high school that I saw at the reunion. Well things got bad towards the end of our friendship and it's all my fault. I feel awful about it and it affected her in ways I would not wish on anyone. I feel that I need to fix this, Robin. She was so important to me." I breathe out deeply at all the information I just told him.

He gives me a half-ass pout, "I'm sure she's fine. She's a big girl."

I frown, "Are you serious right now?"

"What? This happened when you were in high school, I don't see why it's such a big deal still." He shakes his head. I'm furious, this is ridiculous.

"I can't believe you. I confide in you and you aren't even trying to understand my feelings. Or hers for that matter."

His hands go in the air, "What is there to understand? You were kids, these things happen all the time."

I stand up as I scoff, "No they don't. Not the way I did things, I should have never even told you." I make my way to the door.

"Where are you going?" He shouts.

I remain looking straight ahead as I answer him, "Away!" I just needed to get away for a bit and be on my own. I can't believe the way he reacted. I thought he would at least want to know the specific details about it so he could help me through this. But he didn't even seem to care.

I drive to the park where me and Emma would often play at as kids. I don't know why I choose to drive there, it's just where my hands take me. I guess it's the only place I feel safe at for the time being.

XX

 **(Emma's POV)**

I don't know how much time passed as I laid on my bed, just staring at the ceiling. I wanted to forget today but this whole time, it's all I could think about.

I hear a light knock on my bedroom door. I wipe under my eyes and check the time, it was almost 7pm. Damn.

I open my door to Elsa, looking shy and holding a plate of cookies, "Are you okay? I saw you talking to Regina...or yelling I should say."

I give her a small smile and grab two cookies off the plate, "I'm not okay, Elsa. And thanks for these, they look delicious."

She comes into my room and sets the plate down on my nightstand. She then sits next to me on my bed as her hand lays on my back, "You wanna talk about it?"

I ponder a bit, "Honestly, it all happened so fast. Although there is one thing that does stick out to me and it just keeps replaying in my head. She told me she needed to tell me something, to explain something. She made it seem that whatever she wanted to say will possibly make this whole thing make sense. But I just don't see there being any good reason for this at all."

Elsa sighs, "Neither do I and a big part of my wants to say fuck her since she hurt you so badly. But...to be honest Emma, you will never know if there actually is unless you give her a chance to explain it all. If the reasoning ends up being stupid, then yeah you have every right to blow her off and never talk to her again. But if that reasoning does happen to make sense, it could change things. Would you come back into her life or...?"

I never thought about it. Well only because I never believed in even the possibility of Regina having a purpose for what she did to me. "I don't know. What we had was so special, Elsa. I thought after all this time that I would stop caring about her. But when I saw her for the first time at the reunion, I realized I never stopped caring. And that just makes this whole thing even worse."

Part of me wants her friendship back so badly. I've missed her this whole time, I just didn't realize it. Seeing her - even when I was fuming - brought back old feelings. Maybe _too_ much feelings.

"I think you should go talk to her. But actually talk and not scream this time?"

I chuckle, "Yeah, I think you're probably right. One of the things that ate at me for years was the not knowing. Even if it is stupid, at least I don't have to wonder what happened anymore."

Elsa smiles, "Exactly. Oh, but if things do happen to work out, don't leave me!"

I shake my head and laugh, "Now _that's_ stupid. I would never leave you!" I say in a teasing tone as I squish her cheeks.

This causes her to laugh, "Stop!" She pushes my hands away. Then she gets up, grabs the plate of cookies and leaves my room. Before exiting, she says, "And tell me everything!"

Her wide eyes make me roll mine. Elsa has always loved some good drama or gossip. I sigh and fall back on my bed. I can't believe I'm finally going to know the truth.

XX

I assume Regina is either at Granny's or staying at her mother's mansion. I decide to go to Granny's first, mainly because I think she's at her mother's and I want to stall as long as possible. In hopes of calming my nerves? Yeah that's what I'll keep telling myself.

I wonder if she's actually upset about our conversation earlier. Maybe she's already over it and is doing marvelous things with her husband right now. Maybe going is not good idea. But...I was never one to take the easy way out, especially when I truly want something. So I keep driving.

I'm almost there when I notice a black Mercedes parked near the park. If I'm remembering correctly, that's the same car that was parked in front my apartment when Regina was there. That has to be her car. Plus it's quite unusual and I've never seen it in Storybrooke until today.

I park beside it and peer into the park. And there she is, by herself drifting back and forth on the swing set we played on as kids. Even from this distance, she looked mesmerizing. Her short hair blew gently in the breeze and her face was somber.

I clear my throat and get out of my car. I slowly walk down to her, not wanting to be noticed yet. It's when I step onto the mulch that she hears me and looks up. Astonishment takes over her face.

"Emma? What are you doing here?" Her voice sounded a little hoarse. I look at her more closely as I sit on the swing beside her and notice she's been crying.

I sigh, "I don't know. I didn't want to, I really didn't. You broke me so badly, Regina. And seeing you again just reminds me. But I need to know why and I think that's what you were trying to tell me earlier?"

She nods and closes her eyes briefly, "Yes."

We sit in silence for a few minutes. I don't mind, it was sort of relaxing, surprisingly. The sun was starting to set which causes Regina to glow pink. My gaze moves from her cheeks to her lips. Only because there's something there I never noticed before - a scar right above her lip. How did she get that? Then my eyes go to hers, which are looking down at her hands sitting nicely in her lap.

Her gaze shifts to mine. Her brown eyes in contrast with the pink aura on her skin was breathtaking. It almost made me forget why I was here. Almost.

I tear my eyes away from hers, "So…"

She shakes her head, "Right, sorry. I'm just trying to figure out the best way to put it."

My brow furrows, "Why, just say it. If not then start with something that gives me a way in. Just anything. I've waited years for this."

She stares straight ahead but that doesn't stop me from seeing her eyes water. I want to reach out and comfort her, oddly enough. For some reason her vulnerability and pain right now makes me unaware of mine at the moment. I don't do anything though, that's not us anymore. So I wait and wait.

Finally she whispers, "It was my mother."

Okay, I was definitely not expecting that.

 **Guess you will have to wait until the next update to hear Regina's side (I'm evil, I'm sorry). Will it be worth what she put Emma through? If not, will old feelings be enough to fix their relationship?**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Answers**

 **Hello guys! Thank you for all the feedback :) Seriously never fails to make my day!**

 **Jas: You are welcome! I could totally understand how you misinterpreted that. When Regina said 'grown', well let's just say she wasn't disappointed in what she saw ;)**

 ***Warning - this chapter is a little intense.***

I'm so caught off guard right now. How does her mother have anything to do with our relationship?

I frown, "Wait, your mom? I don't understand."

She swallows hard and I notice her lips trembling. "As-as you know. My mother was very strict. The ways she believed were often ridiculous. I never admitted this to you Emma but I was deeply afraid of her most of the time." She wipes under her eye so that the tear that was about to escape couldn't trail down her cheek.

"You're right, you never would say it but I always knew."

She gives me an incredulous look, "You did?"

If only she knew. "Of course I did. I knew you since fourth grade and you were pretty much the most important person in my life, you really think I couldn't tell when you were scared?"

"Oh, I suppose that makes sense." She sighs. I could tell this was hard for her to talk about.

"And it also makes sense you were scared of her. Her looks and her tone were just so intimidating. I couldn't imagine being yelled at by her." I shake my head. The woman needed some anger management classes if I had to be honest.

"Emma...she didn't just yell at me."

My stomach suddenly feels uneasy. No. Please don't mean what I think she means. I ask anyways, "W-what do you mean?"

She sniffs and clears her throat, but that didn't stop her voice from shaking, "While she liked yelling at me, she preferred things being more...physical." Some may think she's making something like this up to save her own skin. But I could always tell when she was lying. She could never make steady eye contact and she always fumbled with her hands. She didn't do either, I believe her.

"No." I breathe out. She was hit? Oh god, no. My hands go to the side of my face, this is insane. How could she not tell me? How could I not have known? My sweet, innocent Regina from high school was abused. She didn't deserve that back then! She had nothing but a pure and beautiful heart.

I find my voice again, "That's awful, Regina. Why didn't you say anything to me about it?"

She shakes her head and tucks a piece of hair behind her ear, "For a while, I thought it was normal. I thought everyone went through it until I saw you and your family. I wanted so desperately to tell you but I was scared that if I did, mother would do bad things to me. Or to you. I figured she would try to cover it up and based on the kind power she had, I knew she would succeed. It seemed pointless. So I figured if I was a good girl, I could make it through life without any major problems. But that...that didn't happen. No matter what did, I _never_ had her approval!" Her face falls into her hands.

I get off my swing and rub my hand lightly on her back. As weird as it felt, I knew she needed comfort right now.

My eyes water and I squeeze them shut to make it go away. "Even if you didn't tell me, how come I never saw the marks?" It comes out as whisper, as if my voice will somehow shatter her into a million pieces.

She doesn't answer right away, she just focuses on controlling her breathing. I am feeling so many things right now. I'm still hurting, I'm still angry. But I also feel absolutely heart broken for her. Yeah, Regina put me in one of the worst states ever but that doesn't change all of those wonderful years we had together beforehand. I still care about her...a lot. And seeing her this torn and knowing what she's been through, I can't stand it.

I wanted to wrap my arms around her and hold her tight, I just don't know how she would feel about that.

She eventually speaks up, "Mother was a smart woman. She hurt me in places that were covered or she always had a story to cover it up. I didn't dare speak the truth, not when she had so much power and control over me."

"What kind of stories?" Although I think I already know.

"That car accident that fractured my ribs? There was no accident...my mother beat me." I gasp at that. My anxiety suddenly sky-rockets. When she first told my she was abused, I was under the impression she was just slapped - which is terrible enough. But actually getting beat and physically broken is on a whole other level. Her mother should be fucking locked up! I am boiling.

I grab her shaky hand and squeeze it. Her breath hitches at the sudden touch and she just stares at our hands for a few seconds before squeezing back and sighing.

"What about when you had that bad stomach virus and didn't go to school for a whole week?" I ask quietly.

She nods. "Mother went a little too far that time, and didn't have some grand and tragic story to cover it up. So she forced me to stay home and treated my wounds."

I shake my head, "How the fuck can someone do that to their own child? Or to anyone, for that matter."

"I don't know…" She says sadly.

"Don't tell me you're still in contact with Cora." I say, my tone stern.

She remains quiet, just looking at me with guilt struck eyes and her bottom lip being bitten by her teeth.

My eyes widen. She says, "Emma, she's still my mother. I didn't speak to her for a few years after I left home but eventually I opened back up to her."

"Regina she doesn't deserve that, at all. The only thing she deserves is going to Hell." I didn't mean to sound so harsh but I couldn't help it.

"Emma…"

I let go of her hand and squat in front of her, my hands gripping her shoulders and shaking her a bit. I wanted her to know how serious I am. "No! It's true. You don't owe her anything, she doesn't fucking deserve you or your love or kindness. Nothing. Do you even see how wrong her actions were? And the fact that you came back to her tells her that maybe what she did wasn't really that bad. But it _is_ that bad."

I stare into her big brown eyes. And suddenly, she breaks. My arms go around her and I hold her as she sobs into my shoulder, soaking my shirt. I didn't care at all though. I rub her back and whisper soothing words into her ear. I'm not sure how long we stay like this. But it was long enough for my feet to tingle and my back to become sore.

Again, I didn't give a damn.

She pulls back, "You know who doesn't deserve shit? Me. I was horrible to you, absolutely horrible. How come you're being so nice to me? Because honestly, maybe being beat was fitting since I'm not a good person."

"Don't you dare say that. I'm here for you because despite the ending to our friendship, I still care greatly for you. And you _are_ good. Maybe our friendship never truly ended. Maybe it was just...on hold." I look at her and give her a small smile. For the first time tonight, I see a glint in her eyes, a glint of happiness. It was small and barely recognizable. But it was there, and that was wonderful to see.

"Thank you." She whispers. "I still care for you as well, Emma. Crazy right?"

I nod, "It is. And uh, Regina?"

"Yes?"

"Well you never really told me why our friendship 'ended'. Was it because the abuse was just too much to take on at the time or was their a specific reason?"

She licks her lips, "Ahh right, the reason you came here in the first place. There was a reason."

And here it comes, the moment I've been anticipating. I roughly swallow as I wait to hear the reason why I felt the most intense pain. The reason why I almost thought death seemed peaceful compared to what I was feeling. I'm nervous.

"My mother thought you were a bad influence. I...I told her that you weren't. I promised it even and of course that earned me a slap to the face. She hated how free I was when I was with you and she couldn't stand your parents for allowing it. I'm surprised she let me spend time with you as long as she did. Maybe she never truly paid attention or maybe over time, I changed and she didn't like that. She was losing her hold on me because of you."

What the fuck? _That's_ the reason? No way, that can't be it. It just can't.

Regina continues, "She took my phone away after graduation and wouldn't let me speak to you that summer I stayed home before college. She eventually gave me my phone back but blocked your number. I was never allowed to go out unless she was with me. I felt even more trapped - something I didn't think was possible. I mean, the only times I felt like I could breathe was when I was with you.

Anyways, she threatened me and told me I could never be in contact with you again. So I listened because I was petrified and didn't know what else to do. I went to law school in Boston, and even though I was away from her, I still felt like if I talked or reached out to you, something terrible would happen. I kept thinking, what if she beat you like she did me? It seems ridiculous but if that did happen, I could never live with myself. I even thought she would maybe kill you. So I stayed away.

I always thought about speaking to you as years passed but I figured it was pointless. I assumed you hated me and that you moved on. That I'd just be a joke for even trying to come back, a big pathetic joke. So I continued driving on the smooth route, always tempted to turn around but never being able to fully commit to it. Now, now I know how stupid that was and that I had a choice. And I chose the wrong one."

I process her information. I couldn't even believe it. If someone else told me this about her, I would have thought they were lying. Things like this don't happen to us. At least I always thought that. Makes me wonder what else is happening behind closed doors…

"You thought you didn't have a choice and you wanted to protect me. I understand, Regina. I understand everything now. I'm so sorry for reacting before even hearing your side." I look down, feeling ashamed.

She puts her finger under mine chin to lift my head up. "You have absolutely nothing to apologize for. Anyone would have done the same thing. You're human." She removes her finger and I feel the skin of my chin tingle.

"Thanks, and thank you for telling me. That was very brave of you." I return to my swing and bite my lip. "I bet I could still win." It was random but I wanted to put her sadness on hold. Even for a little while.

"What?" She asks with confusion.

"Our swing game. I bet I can still jump the farthest." I challenge her.

She grins, "You're on."

We swing back and forth until we both feel as if we might fall off our swings. "Ready…"

"Go!" She yells. We hop off of our swings and roll to the ground, filling the dark night with laughter. I look forward and see that Regina is a few feet in front of me.

"Damn!"

She turns around with wide eyes, "I won! In your face, Swan!"

My heart flutters, she called me Swan. Oh how that takes me back to the good old days. "Well played, _Gina._ " I couldn't help myself.

She smiles at me with the most genuine smile, I thought I could melt. Then she looks down at her fancy pants. "Ohhhh, no. My pants got dirty." I snort and raise an eyebrow at her.

She looks at me, "What?"

"Neat freak." I mumble.

She laughs, "There's nothing wrong with cleanliness." She wipes aggressively at the spot of dirt.

"With you there is." I stand up and brush the dust off of me.

She stands as well and places her hands on her hips, "What's that supposed to mean?" She didn't sound upset luckily, just curious.

"Do I have to say it out loud? You've changed." My eyes trail down her crisp blazer and matching pants. "You used to love getting down and dirty, now I feel like you clean up the smallest of messes when they are first spotted."

She shrugs, "Well you're not wrong." I smile at the blush on her face.

"Does that drive your husband crazy or is he the same way?" I didn't mean to sound so annoyed when mentioning her husband. Or maybe I did.

She smirks, "He's clean as a whistle. I think it's where I got it from actually. He got on me about my carelessness and eventually I evolved into his spotless ways. And you're wrong by the way."

I tilt my head, "Wrong about what?"

"He's not my husband. He's my fiancé. He has been for four months now." She deadpans.

I'm relieved, although I have no reason to be. "Oh. You know, for someone whose been recently engaged, you don't sound too thrilled."

She sighs, "We had a big fight today and it really brought out his true colors. And honestly looking back, I think he's always been this way. Selfish and inconsiderate. Don't get me wrong, we have had many wonderful times together and I do love him. But now...I saw something I really don't like. Part of me thinks maybe saying yes was a mistake. I don't know."

I nod, "It's crazy when you think you know someone but then they can show a completely new and unexpected side. It's very alarming."

I realized what I said may have seemed directed towards her, "That..I'm sorry. That wasn't meant to be towards you. I was just saying in general."

"It's alright, dear. What you said is very true." Regina suddenly looks past me towards the parking lot.

I turn around and notice my dad's truck. What's he doing here?

He comes down and I meet him halfway. He shakes his head, "I received a complaint about some noise in the park after hours and here I am, discovering it's my 28 year-old daughter." He smiles nevertheless.

"Sorry dad." I rub my foot in the mulch.

He chuckles, "It's fine sweetheart." He just now notices that I'm not alone. "Regina Mills? Is that you?"

Regina comes closer to us, "It is indeed."

His smile grows, "How are you kiddo?" I was a bit surprised at his reaction. I think he forgot what went down between us all those years ago.

She returns his smile, "I'm doing well, thank you. How are you?"

"Well besides being a little tired -" He playfully narrows his eyes at me. "I'm just great. I love seeing you two together again."

I blush, "Yeah...it's been a long time."

He rubs my head with his hand, "Well, I'm going to head back now. You guys should too since I know Emma has a big mouth and will probably end up disturbing others again."

I shake my head as Regina snickers, "Wow, thanks dad."

He laughs and turns around, returning to his truck. I look at Regina and she looks like she's stuck.

"Do...do you want to stay with me tonight?"

"Yes." She says immediately. "Then tomorrow, Robin and I will be out of my mother's place asap."

"Okay. You can just follow me there." I start going to my car.

"Emma, wait."

I turn around and she walks towards me and throws her arms around me. She buries her face in my neck and whispers, "Thank you." My arms tighten around her waist and pull her closer. Our bodies fit so perfect as they're pressed up against one another. It felt so...comforting hugging her and touching her. I feel my face warm up at the thought.

Then I remember she thanked me. I pull my face back slightly but our arms remain around each other, "You're welcome, Regina." My eyes trail down to her lips. They look so plump and soft, before I know what I'm doing, my thumb traces her bottom lip causing her breathing to become more noticeable. Her eyes stare at my lips for a brief moment and go back up to my eyes, full of confusion. Then she pulls back completely and I'm full of embarrassment. What the hell am I doing?

She blushes. "Right so I will follow you there." She looks down at her feet the whole time until she's in her car.

Shit, I'm an idiot. I get into my car as well hoping I didn't scare her off or ruin our deep moment we had just half an hour ago.

XX

 **(Regina's POV)**

I follow Emma's bug back to her apartment. Talking with her and telling her the truth was like lifting a huge weight off my shoulders. Well I should say half-truth.

Everything I said was completely true but I did leave out an astronomical and rather very important detail. I can remember it like it was yesterday.

 _All I could think about was my graduation yesterday as I help mother put away the groceries. I finished high school! Now it's time for college. I couldn't be more thrilled, especially since Emma is going to be with me on that journey. And also, I wouldn't have to live here anymore. I can already taste freedom._

 _Most of the food I was putting away was healthy. I turn away to hide my grimace._

" _Regina, dear. I'm concerned for you. You went through school never even showing interest in a boy. Never even giving one a chance. You know, you better do so in college little girl. It may be your only chance at success."_

 _Oh god. Not this talk again. Mother believes I can only be happy and successful with a man. But my happiness isn't a man and I fully believe I can do great things all on my own. I normally just go with it and mumble a 'yes mother' but why do that when in just a few weeks, I would be decorating my dorm with Emma?_

 _I sigh and turn around, "That's because I've never felt that way for a boy."_

 _Her laugh is short as if I sounded completely ridiculous, "You make it sound as if you felt that way for a girl."_

 _I pause and swallow thickly. I couldn't find words, especially since lying to her is not an option. I knew the guilt in my eyes gave me away. Mother's eyes widen before she suddenly turns red and angry._

 _She marches right up to me, I wouldn't be surprised if smoke starts coming out of her ears. I start to shake, knowing what was coming wasn't going to be very good. "It's Emma, isn't it?" Her voice was venom._

 _My lower lip trembles, my voice and hands follow suit, "M-moth-" I cry out in pain as I feel her slap my mouth. She used the back of her hand with caused her ring to slide across my skin. My eyes start to water from the pain and my finger touches right above my lip. I look down and see a good amount of blood on my finger._

 _This makes me cry more. She pushes me down on the floor. I stay there, feeling like the most weak person to have ever lived on this planet. "Disgusting. You're trash, Regina. How did you learn such filthy, filthy ways? Hmm? All I've ever done was teach you how to be proper and normal and you come to me saying you like a girl? A woman only belongs to a man."_

 _Her fists are clenched, she looks at me with such anger and disgust. "Get up!" She pulls me up by the arm and is right in my face again, "Give me your phone."_

 _I reach into my purse and give it to her, almost dropping it in the process. I wipe at my lip again. "You are to never speak to her again. Ever."_

 _What? But Emma's my best friend. "But-" I say with desperation. I didn't mean to, it just came out. Mother hated when I said 'but'. It showed I didn't agree with her ways. I was never supposed to show that._

 _Her hand grabs a fistful of hair and tugs me to the ground. I grunt from the pain and look up at her with fearful eyes._

" _You don't EVER say 'but'. You're supposed obey my ways, Regina Mills. But it seems you just never learn. And it's all because of that trollop. As of today, you are done. No more Emma."_

 _It was like I couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't breathe. Mother managed to take away everything that was important to me. I was a fool to think I could actually have it, though. Emma was the best and happiest parts of my life and now, now I've lost her._

" _You cannot leave unless I'm with you. You will have no contact with her or her family. You will forget about her. Oh and college in Storybrooke? Not happening. There's a wonderful school in Boston and that's where you'll go. And Regina? Don't even think about disobeying me on this. You don't want to know what will happen if you do." She threatens as her eyes glower at me._

 _What did that mean? Would she come after Emma if I didn't stay away? How bad would she hurt her? Oh god, would she kill her? Because the look in her eyes tell me she would. No, I-I can't put Emma in danger. And I don't know how much more I, myself can take._

" _Do you understand me?"_

 _I nod, "Y-yes mother." I thought I would be crying but I just feel numb._

" _Now clean yourself up. And finish putting these groceries away while I start dinner."_

That moment was extremely hard to think about. Tears fall from my eyes. Mother was a monster. When a mother sees their child in pain, they want to do everything to help make it go away. But not mine, I think she enjoyed my suffering. How can I sit around today and act as if she never did those things to me? Thank god I'm staying with Emma. I can bear being around my mother anymore. Because Emma's right, she doesn't deserve it one bit.

I wish I could tell Emma the full story. But that would be too hard and even a bit confusing. Confusing because being around her and talking to her brings back old feelings. I just don't what those feelings are or how strong they are. I don't even know where she stood when we were children. It would just be too weird.

I sigh with relief when I see her apartment building in sight. No more thinking dark thoughts...for now. I clean up my face as best as I can and meet Emma by her car.

She greets me with that radiant smile and I feel that familiar sense of freedom that I always did when she was with me.

"Ready?" She asks.

I nod and smile back at her, "I am." I link my arm through hers and walk into her apartment, finally feeling like I could breathe again.

 **Sorry for the intensity! But hey, her and Emma had a good moment. Yay!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: The Unknown**

 **MESSAGE: So Regina is bisexual and Emma is gay.**

 **To the guest that questioned about Regina marrying Robin even though she isn't really attracted to him - that's actually not true. She is very well attracted to him. Remember what Regina told Emma: She loves Robin and they have shared a lot of good memories together. It's only the very recent event that has occurred (Which is how Robin reacted and didn't seem to care about Regina since the problem wasn't really about him) that made her question things and made her realize Robin has always been a little on the selfish side. But until now, she didn't really seem to notice how bad it was.**

 **So now, Regina is going to have some difficulties since she is with and loves Robin, but Emma is taking her back to old feelings that may have never gone away. Keep in mind that Robin and Regina have been together for a good bit of time (considering they're engaged) so this situation is a little sticky. Hope that clears things up!**

I enter Emma's apartment with nerves tingling in my stomach. I don't know why I'm feeling nervous. Maybe it's because I exposed such a dark side of myself and it's just now hitting me. All I know is that I don't want to be alone tonight and I don't want to be around Robin or mother, so I'm glad I'm here.

"Elsa's in the shower so don't be alarmed if you hear someone else walking around here. Oh and do you need anything, a drink or something to eat?" She asks me.

I smile, "No, no. I'm fine, thank you." I stand around, not knowing what to do.

Emma does the same before finally saying, "Uh, I will grab you something to sleep in and then I can make a cozy place for you on the couch." I nod and she runs out of the room. I take this time to look around the living room.

I walk over to a shelf and see photos of Emma and her parents. Emma being in the middle with their cheeks all pressed together, it makes me smile. Her family was special. The next one is of her and Elsa at the beach. They are holding hands which are up in the air with wide mouths and sunglasses. They look very happy...this could have been us.

I sigh, so much time was lost because I fully believed I didn't have a choice.

I hear Emma clear her throat behind me, "Here you go, while you change I will make your bed for ya. Also, there's a spare toothbrush sitting on the counter in my bathroom. You have to go through my bedroom to get to my bathroom which is through there."

I follow her finger to where she was pointing, "Thank you, Emma. I'll be out shortly."

After I brush my teeth and wipe my makeup off, I change into Emma's clothes which are sweatpants and a t-shirt. I smile since they smell like her - lavender soap and vanilla. I walk back into the living room where Elsa and Emma are standing by the couch. They both look at me while I tuck my hair behind my ear. Emma says, "Well, one thing hasn't changed. You still take _forever_ getting ready for bed."

I give her a playful glare, "Shush, you." Then I turn to Elsa. "And hello Elsa. Sorry for the sudden intrusion."

Elsa smiles, "No need to apologize, Regina. We are happy to have you here!" I instantly feel warm inside. Thank god, I thought Elsa would hate me because of what I put Emma through. Maybe she didn't know. Or maybe Emma told her things are mellow at the moment. Either way, I was thankful.

Elsa sighs, "Well I better go, I have that meeting tomorrow morning at work." She rolls her eyes. I see Emma snicker and stick her tongue out at her which makes me chuckle.

"Ni-igghhtt!" Emma sings.

Elsa shakes her head, "Night dork." She turns to me. "And nice seeing you, Regina. You should make this a daily thing."

"Uh, maybe I will." I say as my voice cracks. Luckily it wasn't noticeable. Elsa winks at Emma and heads to her room, leaving Emma with slightly flushed cheeks which I find adorable.

Emma laughs nervously, "Umm so I set up your sleeping area." She waves her hands dramatically over the couch. "And you can watch TV if you'd like or if you ever need anything, feel free to help yourself."

I grab her hand and squeeze it, "Thank you, Emma. For...well for everything. For letting me stay, for listening, for understanding. You're amazing." I release her hand.

Emma blushes and it takes all my strength not to caress her cheek. "Oh stop now, I'm doing what anyone would."

I shake my head, "I don't think they would though. That's what makes this mean so much to me. You are a special kind of person."

Emma grabs my hand only to pull me to the couch and releases it as soon as we sit. Her hand felt so comfortable in mine.

She looks like she's in deep thought. "What are you thinking?" I ask her.

She bites her lip and looks at me, "It's strange. It sometimes feels like we never stopped being friends. I feel oddly comfortable around you." I almost speak but she talks again, "I'm sorry. That's probably really weird to say." She turns her head away and looks at her hair instead.

My hand goes to her thigh which causes her to whip back around to look at me again, "No, it's not weird. I was actually going to agree with you. I feel at peace around you. At first, no because it was so intense but now that I told my story, it's like that tension is gone. And speaking of stories, this isn't just about me. I want to hear what you went through, Emma. Because I know it wasn't easy for you and since I caused that, I would like to know…"

She shrugs, "It's over now."

"It doesn't matter, it still affected you greatly. You don't have to tell me what you actually did, I guess what I'm really asking is where you stand. How do you feel about...this?" My hands gesture to us.

"I think it's appropriate considering things with Robin are a little problematic at the moment and you told me about your mom." She shrugs.

I shake my head, "No not that. I meant...are you still angry with me or upset?"

She bites her lip again, pondering. She finally says, "I guess it's what we were talking about earlier. I feel like I can be so normal around you. It's like as soon as you told me about your abuse, my anger dissipated. It just all made so much sense so it almost seemed pointless to be angry still. Sure, that moment of my life was...was the most difficult thing I've ever dealt with. But in the end, it made me stronger. It made me look at life differently.

I don't want to miss out on things, and that now includes you. You came back into my life and deep down, I want you to stay. So it would be stupid to let my past feelings get in the way of that."

 _I want you to stay._ My stomach is full of butterflies. Hearing that and the fact that she forgives me is the most wonderful thing in the world. I beam at her and pull her into an embrace. "Thank you so much, Emma. I feel like I can't say that enough." I close my eyes as I feel her arms tighten around me. I didn't want to let go, not yet. She pulls away first, though.

"Of course, Regina. And you've said it enough, it's alright. But I feel like you're probably not going to stop anytime soon." She grins and I chuckle.

"Probably not. I really don't deserve you. You're a great friend." I squeeze her arm.

Her eyes flicker down to where my hand touched her arm and when they meet mine again, they almost seem sad. I try not to think too much into it. We may be getting back into each other's lives, but we're not at the point where I can keep questioning every little thing I notice...yet.

She smiles, but it's not real, "Well I better get to bed, I'm very tired. It's been quite a day, for both of us. And unfortunately, I don't have the same energy as I did when we were kids."

I shake my head, "That, I completely get. But yes, get some rest, I will see you tomorrow."

She nods, "Goodnight." She stands up and goes to her room. The living room seemed colder and less lively without her there. She always had a way of filling a room with such positive and radiant energy. That is of course when she wasn't feeling sad or anything. But again, I won't think too much into it.

I sigh as I turn out the light and settle into the couch - which was surprisingly very comfortable. Now that I'm alone, I think about something I kept pushing out of my mind.

I touch my lower lip where it happened, where Emma's thumb gently rubbed my skin. What was that about? It made my heart race and I almost leaned into her touch. I can't tell if I am reminiscing over the familiarity of everything or if it was something else. All I know is that I'm confused about it all.

But, I shouldn't be confused about anything. That sort of stuff happened all the time when were young. We were just that close and that comfortable around each other to do those sort of things. It was so nice.

I clench my fist and turn on the TV. I don't want to end up venturing down endless thoughts of why I'm an idiot for ruining pretty much the best thing that's ever happened to me.

XX

I wake up to the smell of coffee. Mmm. I stretch my arms and rub my eyes. I check my phone and notice I have 6 missed calls and 8 text messages. They are mostly from Robin but I also see some from my mother. I sigh, I'll answer them later. I see Emma's back in the kitchen, probably making the coffee so I sneak into the bathroom to brush my teeth.

Then I go back to the kitchen to try and scare Emma but she isn't in there. Where did she go?

"Boo!" Emma's hands lightly hit my back. Her voice plus the unexpected touch make me jump.

I put my hand to my heart, "Jesus, you scared me!" Emma laughs and I can't help but do the same. Her laugh was contagious.

"You are too easy to scare, it's hilarious!"

I glare at her and stick my tongue out, "Rude, especially when _I_ was trying to scare _you_. So I smell coffee, is there coffee?"

She chuckles, "Eager I see. And yes there is." She gestures me to follow her to the table. "Let me guess, you like your coffee black?"

"Sorry to disappoint you but actually no, I can't stand it." I make a disgusted face.

She raises her eyebrow, "Wow, that's unexpected considering…" She trails off.

I cross my arms and narrow my eyes at her, "Considering what?" She sets down a cup of coffee in front of me along with cream and sugar.

"Oh nothing." She says innocently. I open my mouth to intervene but she beats me, "Can't talk, gotta drink." She sips her coffee as her eyes dance around the room. I shake my head and smile, she is ridiculous.

I stir sugar and cream into my coffee and take a long, slow sip. I feel the warmth of the liquid trail down my throat and let out a low moan. God that's good. I see Emma staring at me and as soon as I make eye contact with her, she looks away. I feel myself blush, "So, what's the plan for today?"

Emma looks surprised, "Oh. Um actually I have to go to work soon."

I try not to let my disappointment show. But then again, I do have business to settle today with my mother and Robin.

I nod, "Right, of course. And I suppose I should gather all of my things from my mother's and check into Granny's today."

Emma sighs, "Good. How long are you staying anyways?"

I almost say two weeks since that's what was planned. "Four weeks." I say with a grin. It was a decision I made right then and there. I'm going to tell Robin I want to spend all of vacation here. Two weeks won't be enough time, not now.

Emma smiles brightly, "So you're staying a while, that's...I'm glad."

I feel my face heat up so I look down at my near-empty cup, unable to fight my smile. "Me too, dear. So where do you work anyways?"

"I'm a sheriff and I work along side my dad." She answers proudly.

"That's wonderful, Emma. You were always so protective so that fits you very well. And I bet working with your father is a blast."

She nods, "It really is, I love it. Even if he only let's me do paperwork right now." She rolls her eyes. "So you said you went to law school, are you a lawyer then?"

I stand up and rinse my cup before setting it in the sink. Then I return to my chair. "I am. It was a hell of a process but it was completely worth it."

"That's amazing, Regina." She puts her hand on mine. If it were any other friend of mine, I wouldn't have liked all this contact, but with Emma, I felt...safe. It was all very strange for me. Yeah we were like inseparable at one point, but it was ten years ago. How does everything feel so normal? How come it feels nothing has changed when in reality _everything_ has? I'm not saying it's a bad thing, I just don't get it.

Emma laughs and I look at her funny, "Why are you laughing?"

"Just thinking about us. Remember when you told me that when you grow up, you wanted to be a queen?"

I chuckle, "Yeah I do because you glared at me and said that wasn't a real job! You dream-crusher you." I tease.

"Hey, you knew what you were getting into in fourth grade! I said anything that was on my mind in class."

I smile at the thought, "That you did. And I loved it!"

Emma laughs that gorgeous laugh of hers and I stop to admire her. Her head is slightly thrown back and her eyes are closed. She was absolutely stunning.

It takes me a few seconds to realize she was now looking at me, "Why are you looking me like that?" She asks. She bites her lip as she waits for an answer.

Shit, shit, shit. I let out a nervous laugh, "Uh what? Oh like this? Oh..uh because you're just...you're beautiful, Emma." Oh fuck me, jesus. I'm a damn lawyer for god's sake. Speaking is what I do, why must Emma suddenly make me lose all control of that?

She smiles with pink cheeks, "Thank you, Gina." Her voice is soft and shy. It was precious. She looks over at the time, "Crap, I gotta go soon." She rushes out of her chair and to her room.

Which means I have to go soon, too. Damn. I gather my clothes from yesterday and change back into them quickly before Emma returns. I button my last button on my shirt just as she walks out of her room. I try not to let my eyes linger on her skinny jeans and leather jacket.

I start to fold the blankets on the couch when Emma says, "Oh don't worry about those, I'll get them later."

"You sure?"

She shrugs, "Yeah, it's no big deal."

As much as it pains me, I set the blankets down and listen to Emma. "I know that was difficult for you." Emma states.

I shake my head and roll my eyes, "Maybe. But that's none of your concern."

She laughs, "Okay, whatever you say Regina." I follow her out of her door and to our cars. "Here's my number, let me know how things go with your mom, okay?"

I grab the piece of paper from her hands, fingertips brushing softly against each other. "I will. And thanks again, for everything."

She smiles, "You're welcome. You can stay anytime if needed."

I smirk, "I'll keep that in mind. Goodbye, Swan."

"Bye, Ginaaaa." She sings before getting into her bug. It was cute and bright, it fit her so well. I get into my car too but before leaving, I enter her number into my cellphone under 'Swan'.

"Time for possible chaos." I say to myself as I think about my mother. I shudder and drive off, hoping the world doesn't set fire from my mother's wrath.

XX

I unlock the door and take a deep breath. Two steps into the house and my mother is already down my throat.

She scoffs, "There you are. Did you even get any of our messages or calls? It's not that difficult to pick up your cellphone once in a while. I mean were all those etiquette lessons I taught you for nothing? Besides, apparently Robin was expecting some fancy dinner last night which you failed to provide. Shame on you, he'll end up leaving if you don't provide for him. Then you'll be nothing again." She shakes her head with her hands on her hips.

I wanted to scream. Of course Robin only cared about his stupid dinner and of course my mother is backing him up. And not to mention the fact that she truly believes I'm that incapable. I clench my fists, "I'm fine, thanks for asking. And I really don't have time for this." I walk away to leave but feel her roughly pull my arm back. I gasp, she hasn't done that in so long.

Her hands grip my arms. "What the hell has gotten into you? You suddenly decide to start acting like an impertinent child, it's disgraceful and embarrassing. You should know better, young lady. And learn some damn respect, I'm your mother." She hisses. Her hands tighten on my arms until her nails dig into my skin.

"Well start acting like one!" I yell back into her face. My eyes water with frustration. I look back into my mother's eyes and they look as if they could kill by simply staring into them.

And then pain. My hand flies up to my cheek where she slapped me, my mouth ajar. How is she still this way? How? After years since the abuse, I thought this would have faded away.

The way she's looking at me, I knew nothing I could say would even come close to getting through to her. It was like she was daring me to say something, just to have an excuse to hurt me once again. I can't let her have this control anymore. I turn on my heel to tell Robin we are leaving.

Luckily, she doesn't follow.

I open the door to Robin pacing through the bedroom. He looks at me with irritation, "Where the fuck were you?" I frown at his crude language, he rarely speaks to me like that.

"I-I told you, I had to get away."

"And you couldn't have answered your phone? This is _our_ vacation, Regina. And so far it hasn't really felt like it. I've been just sitting around here all day, bored as hell with unfinished business from my fiancé." Wow. He truly is self-centered. How have I not seen this before?

I scoff, "Is this about the goddamn dinner?"

"Not just the dinner, the sex too! And overall you've been distant. I don't know why you would even do this, I've done nothing wrong to you. I mean you claim it's about some friend from your childhood which still just makes no sense to me. I'm pretty sure what we have is more important than your old friend."

I want to laugh at how false everything he just said is. "I really can't be around you right now. I thought things would be fine when I returned but clearly I was wrong."

I walk to the closet and roughly grab my suitcase. I toss in the first clothes from the closet that I find when suddenly, I feel a gentle hand on my arm, "Regina, stop. I'm sorry. I really don't want to fight with you."

I sigh and face him, "Neither do I."

"I overreacted, but you have to understand where I'm coming from." I didn't, not really. Not compared to the hell I've been through. Which I actually never told him. Part of me thinks I should, maybe he would understand more. But it's like I can't bring myself to do it, and that scares me considering he's my fiancé. Shouldn't I want to tell him these things, shouldn't I want to seek comfort from him?

Although I still believe he's in the wrong, I soften up. Relationships are about compromise after all. "Yeah I do. But you should pack your stuff up anyways."

He looks confused, "Why?"

"I don't want to stay here anymore. We can stay at Granny's." And with that, I turn my attention back to my suitcase.

"That doesn't answer my question, why are we leaving?"

"Because I don't want to be around my mother, she is intolerable and it's exhausting. She's completely killing this vacation for me."

He looks like he wants to argue for some god awful reason. To my surprise, he doesn't, "Okay. Granny's it is then. I'll pack my stuff up."

I'm relieved, I was sick of arguing. "Thanks, Robin." I kiss him lightly on the lips and gather all of my stuff. I rub my temples as I feel a headache coming on. I couldn't wait to call Emma and tell her what happened.

Ever since our deep talk, I felt like I could trust her just as I could when we were kids. She hasn't changed, not really. I mean obviously she's older and is more mature. And I can't help but think how she went from a pretty schoolgirl to very model-like. But inside, she's still my genuine Emma. _My._ Oops, I didn't mean to say it like that. She wasn't mine anymore.

But maybe she will be again, I mean we are sort of back in each others lives and I feel it will only go up from here. At least that's what I hope. Ever since graduation, there's been something missing in my heart, a hole of some sort. No matter what I did or how happy I seemed, it was always there. And the longer I lived, the bigger it grew. Nothing could fill it.

But yesterday with Emma, I didn't feel that. And it was truly magical. Emma is what was missing from my life as crazy as that seems, so I'm very thankful she's back. Only this time, I'm not going to let _anyone_ ruin this for me. Not again.

 **Yes, you go Regina! Let's see that fierce side that everyone knows and loves :) Hope you enjoyed, I can't wait for the events that are soon to come, ahh!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Growing**

 **Hello all, hope you are having a great day so far!**

 **Guest: This is a romantic SQ story! (I mean friendship too but they are definitely getting together in this) I feel like it would be WAY too hard to keep them as friends haha**

 **Guest: I understand! I'm the same way, and it's hard writing about Robin and Regina at times because I just want to write about her and Emma. But the thing is with me, I love to write out a developed and realistic story. As much as I want Regina suddenly dropping everything without a second thought and getting together with Emma, I have to think about what most people would do. And they would feel stuck.**

 **And besides, dragging out their relationship makes the moment they get together so much better. Also, I do need Robin for a very specific part in the story.**

 **HANG IN THERE SWEN. SQ IS ENDGAME. :) I hope you'll stick around with me through this story, I have much planned for it.**

 **(Emma's POV)**

I finally finish today's paperwork. I glance at the clock, ahh I finished with ten minutes to spare. And that means it's bearclaw time. I open my drawer and pull out the donut that's been closed in a bag since this morning. I lick my lips and take a huge bite.

My dad comes in just in time to see me with donut on my nose. He laughs and rubs it off with his finger. "Is this what you do all day, Emma? Eat and make a mess?"

I was going to deny that but it sounds about right actually, "Duh."

He shakes his head, "You can go if you're all finished honey." He says while glancing at the stack of papers on my desk.

"Actually I wanted to ask you something." I put my donut down and wipe my face.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Could I...get my vacation now instead of in July?"

His eyebrows raise in surprise, "Every job you've ever been at, you've always taken vacation in July. Why the sudden change?" I open my mouth but then realization dawns on him and he smirks.

"Ahh, this is about Regina isn't it?"

"Maybe." I mumble. "It's just she goes back to Boston in four weeks and I don't want to miss out."

He rests his hand on my head, "I understand kiddo, no need to explain."

My brow furrows, "Dad? Do you happen to remember what happened between us? I only ask because you seem strangely okay with her. Which is great but it caught me off guard."

He sighs and removes his hand. Then he pulls a chair in front of mine and sits, "Of course I remember. How could I forget my daughter's suffering? Your mother explained to me how she stopped by and seemed like she really wanted to make it up to you. And you know me, I'm all about second chances."

Wait, Regina talked to my mom? When did this happen? "When did Regina talk to mom?"

"Oh. I think the day after the reunion." So that's how she got my address. If I found that out during that moment, I would have killed my mom. Now, I really need to thank her.

Dad says, "But you know what really made me okay with being around Regina, you know that night at the park?"

"Yeah, what?" Yeah, the park. He opened himself up to her as if we never stopped being friends.

"You seemed...happy. You had that spark in your eye that I haven't seen in quite some time, Emma. And I could just feel it from you, radiating off of you. Regina being back in your life has brought you a special kind of happiness and that's all I want for you. For you to be happy." His eyes water as he finishes his speech.

I stand up and lean down, hugging him tight, "Love you, dad."

His hand finds his way to the back of my head as it always does when he hugs me, "I love you too, honey."

"You and mom should come over for dinner on Saturday. Elsa and I will make you something and I'll invite Regina too."

He smiles, "Sounds wonderful. We will be there for sure."

I grin back, "Great. And so is the vacation thing okay?"

"Only for you." He pauses and frowns, "Do I spoil you too much?"

I laugh, "Oh definitely. Thanks dad!" I wave to him as I rush out of the station. How was I blessed with such amazing parents? It amazes me all the time. If only Regina could have experienced the same thing. I suddenly feel a little sad as I think about what she's been through. My hands grip the steering wheel a bit too hard - the things I'd do to Cora…

I need to calm down, because people do stupid things when they are angry. And I refuse to be stupid. I sigh and turn up my radio, singing softly along with it to keep my mind off of things.

I'm halfway home when my cell rings from an unknown number. I turn the radio down before saying, " **Hello**?"

" **Emma**?" It was Regina, I'd know that deep, sultry voice from anywhere.

" **Yeah, hi Gina**." I smile as I feel butterflies in my stomach.

" **What's that noise**?"

" **Oh it's probably my car, I'm driving right now**."

" **Be careful, Emma**." Awe, I like that she worries about me, even with little things. " **Would you be able to come to Granny's diner? I'm all checked in and I want to tell you what happened.** "

My heart flutters at the thought of seeing her again. " **Of course, I'll be there in a few minutes.** "

" **Great, see you soon.** "

I smile, " **Bye.** " I hang up the phone and make a quick turn to go back towards Granny's.

When I arrive, I see Regina sitting at a booth with her fiancé. I frown, I didn't think he'd be here too. Guess I have to meet him sometime.

I walk over to the booth, and tap Regina's back. She turns around and smiles, "Hey, Emma." She stands up and puts her arms around me. I breathe in her scent which was a mixture of amber, musk, and vanilla and hug back but it was very brief as she was now pulling away.

She turns her head to Robin, "Robin, this is Emma. She's the friend I was telling you about...from my past." Regina almost seemed nervous which didn't make sense.

Robin holds out his hand, "Nice to meet you." He deadpans. Okay, really? He couldn't have looked or sounded more annoyed right now. I hope he isn't always like this, hopefully he's just having a bad day or something.

"Likewise." I try to sound as sincere as possible but he kind of soiled my mood. Our handshake is short and stiff. Oh god, this is going to be awkward.

He gets up and kisses Regina on the cheek, "Alright I've met her. I will see you soon. Hour at most?" Good, he isn't staying. Guess it won't be awkward after all.

Regina nods, "Yes." She rubs his arm and pecks him on the lips before he heads back towards the rooms. I watch their contact closely, well mostly Regina. She doesn't look at him like their together and in love. She seems just kind of there. I try not to get too happy about that.

"Please, sit." She tells me. I do and Ruby comes over to us.

I smile, "Hey, Rubes." Ruby moved here from Florida a couple years ago to live with her Granny and help around the diner. She works almost every time I'm here so we've gotten close. Nothing like my relationship with Elsa but we occasionally go drinking together once in a while.

She smiles her wolfish grin, "Hey, Emma. And I don't believe we've met. You are?"

"Regina. Pleasure to meet you."

"Pleasures, all mine. Wow Emma, she's stunning, even more stunning than Angelica." I freeze, Ruby what the hell are you doing? She turns to Regina, "Angelica was this hot bikini model that Emma dated for like a month like..what last year? I didn't think anyone would be more attractive than her, but I guess I was wrong. Do you happen to have a sister?"

Regina's eyes widen although I'm not sure at what part of Ruby's speech she was most surprised by: either Ruby wanting to hit up her sister (which she doesn't have) or the fact that I'm gay. Who knows, all I know is that Ruby has a big mouth.

I quickly intervene, "Okay, Ruby that's enough. It's not...we're not like that. She's my-my friend from high school." My face was probably as red as a tomato right now. I glance at Regina who looks slightly flushed as well.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I see how you-" She is not finishing that sentence.

"Can we just order please?" I hiss. Oh my god, I wanted to die. Ruby bites her lip to keep from laughing, "Fine, what would you like?"

I sigh internally, "I would just like a chocolate milkshake with lots of whip cream please. And a cherry."

Ruby raises an eyebrow suspiciously, "You hate cherries."

"Yes but Gina loves them." I shrug and Regina smiles.

Ruby grins and nods, "Gotcha. And Regina, what would you like?"

"Actually, I'll have the same thing with a side of fries please."

"Sure, that will be out shortly!" Ruby says and then waggles her eyebrows at me. I'm going to kill her 50 times over. I give her a look and she holds her hands up and walks to the kitchen.

I laugh nervously, "I'm...sorry about her. Ruby is a little wild."

She gives me that incredible smile which instantly makes me feel calm. She places her hand on mine and rubs the back of it with her thumb. "No need to apologize, Emma. It's alright." I almost close my eyes at how relaxed I felt with her rubbing my hand. Oh god, I'm in trouble.

I lick my lips and pull my hand away to play with my hair, otherwise I might have ended up interlacing our fingers together. That would have made this day...interesting.

I clear my throat, "So, how bad did your mom flip out?"

She stiffens, "Bad." Regina informs me first what happened when she first arrived which included getting slapped in the face by her mom. That made me furious. She also tells me how Robin was being extremely unmindful of her and only talked about his needs.

Then when they were dragging their suitcases out of the house, her mother didn't seem as terrible and she believes it was because Robin was around. She seemed angry of course and mentioned something like it was disrespectful to leave unannounced like that since it was such a generous offer but she didn't touch her again, luckily.

Cora needs serious help.

"So she was calm since Robin was around? Does that mean Robin doesn't know about your past?"

She shakes her head, "I never wanted to tell anyone but I kind of had to tell you, and I felt okay doing it. Maybe if this had been years ago, I would be okay with telling Robin as well. But at the moment, I can't bring myself to do it. Does that make me a horrible person?"

I frown, "Not at all. Besides, things seem a little...tense between you two. And I also couldn't help but notice his coldness towards me." I say, crossing my arms. I wasn't trying to be a child but it pissed me off when I've done nothing to the man. I'm so glad I'm gay.

Regina gives me a guilty look but isn't able to explain since Ruby arrives with our shakes and fries. "Mmm" I say, looking at that chocolate heaven in a cup. "Thank you, Rubes!"

Regina nods in agreement, "Yes, thank you."

Ruby rubs my back, "No problem, ladies." Then she leans down and whispers into my ear, "Why don't you just bang her and get it over with already?"

I choke obnoxiously on my milkshake, damn you Ruby. Damn you! She snickers and skips back to the kitchen like she just did the best thing in the world. I glare at her as I try to get my choking under control.

Regina giggles, which was one of the cutest sounds in the world, "Are you alright? What did she say to you?"

I get wide-eyed and shake my head, "You don't want to know, she can be so perverted at times."

She smirks at me and it almost makes me drool. (I wish that was an exaggeration.) Then her hand moves slowly towards me. "But I _do_ want to know, I'll get it out of you somehow." Her index finger trails circles on my arm giving me goosebumps. What is she doing? She continues, "Besides, I'm not afraid of a little...dirty talk."

Oh dear god. That's it, I'm screwed. I'm done, I'm gone. I'm dead. Nice knowing you!

Regina retracts her hand and laughs, "I'm joking. And give me that damn cherry already." She snatches it from my cup and plops it into her mouth.

"Right, kidding." I mumble and suck on my shake.

"Hey, look." She sticks out her tongue and on it is the cherry stem tied in a knot. So, she can tie little cherry stems with her tongue? This is not helping right now!

She takes it off and places it in a napkin, "I could never do that as kids, remember?"

I grin, "Yeah, I do. You would try _every_ time we got milkshakes and you just couldn't do it! It was so funny watching you, your tongue would fumble around for several minutes until you got too frustrated. Don't worry, I still can't do it."

"Maybe I'll teach you." She mutters.

I swallow hard, "W-what?" Did I hear that right?

She gives me a mischievous smile, "Nothing." Then she takes a fry and dips it into her shake before tossing it into her mouth. "Damn that's good."

My hand goes to her plate of fries which she quickly pulls away, "What do you think you're doing?" Her dark eyes look into my soul.

I laugh, "What does it look like, I want a fry."

"You could have ordered some." She says knowingly.

I pout, "I ordered a nasty cherry just for _you."_

She sighs and returns the plate to the table, "I suppose you're right. Fine this time you win but next time, you're in for some trouble." Yeah I think I'm long past that point actually.

I'm satisfied and mock her by dipping my fry into my shake. That salty/sweet combination though!

"So, you were going to tell me what's up with Robin?" I say with my mouth full.

Her smiles fades, "Yes. After we ran into each other at the reunion and after I came to your apartment the day after, I was feeling all sorts of things. Apparently Robin noticed but instead of being concerned for me, he made it about himself and said he didn't like how I was treating him or acting." She pauses to take sip.

"Later I told him I was acting funny because I saw you at the reunion and messed things up badly. But he blew it off and got mad at me. He didn't think that was a reasonable excuse at all. I mean how could he think that way? If I care about the situation, shouldn't he care too?" She rubs her forehead with her hand.

I felt so bad for her, Robin was such a dick. "I'm sorry, Gina. It's strange that he feels that way."

"Isn't it? It...it's been making me think about things. I want to work things out with him but I feel like he won't give me the time of day to do so."

I'm a little disappointed but that's wrong of me to feel that way, this _is_ her fiancé we're talking about. "Well, you'll never know unless you try. It may be scary but it's worth it."

She nods, "Very true, thanks Emma." She smiles at me and I just get lost in it.

"Anything for you, Gina. I hope you know that."

She bites her lip and nods, "I do. And same goes for you, you can talk to me about anything whenever you need to." Oh the things I wish to say to her.

I look at her with sad eyes, "Until Boston."

She frowns and stands up, then sits beside me instead of across from me in the booth. My heart races as she sits so close to me, arms touching, "Hey, I know Boston isn't super close but it's not super far either. I will still be here for you." She puts an arm around me and pulls me close. I rest my head on her shoulder.

"Promise? I...I don't want to lose you again." I hated how vulnerable I sounded but I needed her to know this.

"I promise, Emma." She rubs my cheek with her hand and my breath hitches. As she continues, I start to relax again and I really just wanted to stay here all day. I felt so safe and at peace. Unfortunately her phones rings and interrupts it. I sigh quietly and sit upright as she digs for her phone.

She rolls her eyes, "Guess the hour is up. It's Robin, he's asking if I'm almost done. Who puts a time limit on these things, I mean really."

"So don't go, it's your life." I inform her. Although maybe that was a bit ignorant. Based on how her mother treated her, I bet she's so used to being controlled. It's probably all she knows. In my eyes, it was ridiculous.

"I already told him I'd be here an hour, I'm sorry. I would love to stay though, for real." She goes back over to her side to grab her jacket and purse. She pulls out her wallet.

"Nope, I've got it." I tell her.

"No, it's fine really." She pushes. It's bad how stubborn we both are.

"Split?" I suggest. She mutters a 'fine' and we throw down the same amount of money including a generous tip for Ruby even though the bitch didn't deserve it for messing with me.

I pull Regina into my arms and close my eyes, trying to revel in the moment that I knew was going to end seconds later, "Goodbye."

"Bye, Swan." She pulls back and taps my nose with her finger causing us both to laugh before she heads back to meet with Robin.

I smile all the way to my car, today was a good day. One of the best I've had in while, actually. I'm so glad I gave her a chance and even more glad that she took it.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: King's Cup**

 ** **Raye: Thanks for your kind words!****

 ** **Other guests: thank you all for your input :) wish I could message you all personally!****

 **Hope everyone enjoys!**

Elsa walks in the door from work, "Oh, shit. What are you doing home already?"

I snort, "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you I took vacation a little early." I feel bad because I know Elsa wouldn't be able to take vacation when she wanted to. She never does. She's the assistant of the big boss, Loraine Manson, at a modeling agency in Brunswick. When Miss Manson goes on vacation, Elsa goes on vacation. That's actually how I met Angelica, she was a model there.

"You lucky witch. And why so early this year?"

I sigh, "Because Regina is staying here. For four weeks."

Elsa grins, "Ahh that makes sense. Emma can I ask you something?"

I nod. "Sure." I sit on the couch and hold a pillow to my chest. She sits beside me with a serious expression on her face.

"Do you...have feelings for Regina?" And there it is. A question that's been in the back of my mind probably my whole life. I open my mouth to speak but nothing comes out, it just hangs open. She tilts her head, waiting for me to say something.

"I…" I start but how do I actually finish this question? "I don't know. Maybe?"

She frowns slightly, "How do you not know?"

"It's complicated. We have a lot of history and...and uh yes I have feelings for her. I always have and probably always will." I groan as my face falls into my hands. I didn't want to admit it but why even bother covering it up? The only reason I wanted to is because Regina has Robin. She will never be that way with me. I grip the pillow harder.

"But it doesn't matter because she's _engaged._ We may be getting close again, but we will always just be friends. It hurts sometimes, Elsa. But even so, I'm just thankful she's back."

She looks at me with pity, "I'm sorry, Emma. I know that must be really hard."

I laugh hysterically, "And you know, sometimes my mind makes things up in my head like, like she actually feels the same for me. Like she flirts with me and is happier around me. It's stupid! Because we were always so close as friends so she's clearly just acting the way we did in high school. But of course, my brain wants to believe it's something more."

I toss the pillow to the corner of the couch and cross my arms as Elsa rubs my leg, "I need alcohol."

I stand up and pour Elsa and I some scotch and down mine in a few seconds. Elsa hesitates at first and then takes hers down. "You'll get through this. It will be a very difficult ride at first but overtime, these feelings usually dissipate. Then you can move forward with someone new while still having Regina as a friend."

Her words were very encouraging but I don't believe them at all. "My feelings for Regina have never gone away and it's been years. Why would they suddenly stop now?" I pour myself a second glass.

She sighs, "Because she's taken and you can't have her. Your mind will cling to that and eventually get over it because it has too. You have too or else you're just going to be in pain."

She's absolutely right. I will deal with these feelings for the time being but they will eventually go away. Right? I hope so because Regina may have been controlled her whole life but I know damn well she could easily have me under her control in an instant since I lose myself every time I look at her.

"You're right. Thank you." I hug her close, "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Trust me, I know." She chuckles and I playfully smack her butt.

"I'm going to tough this out and reconnect with Regina." She gives me a look. "As _friends._ " I clarify, rolling my eyes.

"I'm proud of you."

"You should be, because this absolutely sucks. Oh by the way, I invited my parents over Saturday for dinner."

Her eyes light up, "Oh yay! That sounds lovely." Elsa loves spending time with my parents because I think she thinks of them as her own. Elsa lost both of her parents in a car accident I believe our junior year of high school. My parents welcomed her with open arms when we became friends in college and Elsa got attached quite quickly. It was real sweet.

"Also…" I trail off.

She raises an eyebrow, "You wanna invite Regina?"

"Yes." I breathe out. God, she knows me well.

She grabs my hands, "I would love to have her over. She was a big part of your life and is coming back, it would be awesome if we all could be friends."

I smile, "Yeah, I'd like that."

She pulls me to a chair at the table, "Okay let's make a list of what to make for them!" I giggle at her eagerness and start naming ideas of how to make Saturday the best it can be.

XX

 **(Regina's POV)**

Robin and I thank our waiter and start digging into breakfast. I ordered waffles with strawberries and Robin ordered an omelet.

"Mmm this looks good. I hope it still tastes the same." I smile as I stare down at my delicious looking waffles. I take my first bite and moan, "It does!"

Robin smiles at me and grabs my hand, "That's great, baby. This omelet is pretty damn good, too."

Things have been mellow between us, but only because we haven't talked about it. I don't think we should keep ignoring the situation, though.

Robin is invested in his omelet so I clear my throat, "Robin?"

He dabs his face and swallows before answering, "What is it?"

"I don't think we should forget about what's been going on. I want to talk about it because frankly, I don't like how I was treated. Look, Emma means a lot to me and it hurt that you didn't care about how I felt with the whole thing. It may not seem like a huge deal for you but it was for me. I expected your support." I take a drink of my orange juice.

He sighs, "I know. I'm sorry, I was in the wrong here. I promise to be more supportive, okay?"

Well that was easier than expected. His tone still seemed...off but he looked like he meant it. "Thank you. That's all I want."

My hand rests on his, "And Robin?"

"Hmm?"

"I-I was planning on going to Emma's place to eat dinner with her on Saturday with her parents and roommate. Is that alright with you? Because I wouldn't want to do something you're not okay with." I bite my tongue.

His brow furrows, "Is that why we're actually having a good moment together, just so you could ask me this?"

What the hell? "What? No, of course not! We are eating here together because I love you, and I plan on doing plenty more things with you on this vacation. It's just, when we go back to Boston, we will still be together and Emma will stay here. You know?"

He looks upset and I thought he might start arguing with me again but all he says is, "Yes, I get that. Have dinner with her, that's alright."

I look at him funny, "Are you sure? You don't sound alright with it."

He gives me a smile, "Yes, go. We have a lot of time left on vacation anyways."

"Thanks, baby. Until Saturday comes, it's just you and me, okay?" He nods and continues eating. I decide to lighten the mood and ask him what he wants to do over the next few days. Once we get into the conversation, he seems to be acting normal again, thank goodness.

Saturday seemed to take forever to get here but now today's the day. I try not to act too excited for Robin's sake. Oh god, what should I wear?

I dig through my closet but nothing seems right. I groan out in frustration and turn around to look at the mess I made on the floor. Robin would shit himself if he saw this. Almost makes me want to leave it, I snicker to myself. I don't though and gather up my dresses back into the closet.

Should I buy something new? Okay, I'm totally overthinking this. It's just dinner! I close my eyes and whatever I touch first, I will wear. I feel fabric in my hands and open my eyes to a silk, light gray shirt with long sleeves. It has a plunging neckline so I pair it with a black, lace bralette along with a black pencil skirt. I shrug, this will do.

After I'm dressed, I put a bit more effort into my hair and makeup and I'm ready to go. I exit the bathroom and Robin is mid-bite in an apple but stops. His eyes trail down my body, "You look magnificent."

I smile, "Thank you."

He squints his eyes, "Mhhmm." He says stiffly. Oh great.

I sigh, "What's wrong?"

He shakes his head, "Nothing. Have fun, babe." He hugs me and kisses my cheek. Oh I'm sure I will have fun. The closer it is to six, the more exhilarated I feel.

"Bye, I'm not sure how late I'll be but I will send you a text okay?"

"Alright. Be careful."

"I will." I rub his cheek and grab my jacket. I bite my lip to keep from smiling until I'm out of Granny's. I couldn't wait to see my Emma again.

XX

 **(Robin's POV)**

I wait several minutes after I see Regina leave until I get into my own car. I had to talk to someone about her weird behavior and the only person in Storybrooke I could talk to is Cora.

I don't understand. Regina has been so distance with me and more controlling. I liked it when she went with the flow of things, _my_ flow of things. Now she tends to believe the world revolves around her decisions. Where did this boldness come from? We had a routine and I want to stick with it.

It all started with Emma Swan. As soon as Regina mentioned her little reunion problem, she started acting differently which makes not a bit of sense. I get they have history but what about our history? Does our four years of being together mean absolutely nothing to her?

I arrive at Cora's and knock on the door. She opens it a few moments later and smiles when she sees it's me.

"What a pleasant surprise. Where's Regina?" She asks with confused eyes.

"That's actually why I came here, I have to talk to you about her behavior lately." Her smile fades. She nods her head and opens the door all the way to let me in.

We sit at the table sipping some wine, "Here's the thing. Regina and I never fight, and the reason for that is because she just goes along with everything."

Cora smiles with satisfaction, "That's how it should be, she'd be nothing without you."

"Well that's changed. Ever since we got here, she's been distant, colder, and she suddenly feels like _she_ wears the pants in this relationship. I'm pretty sure we've fought everyday this week." I explain, trying not to sound too frustrated.

Cora frowns, "Wait, it only started when you arrived in Storybrooke?"

I nod, "Mhmm. Ever since her damn friend from high school."

Cora freezes, "What friend?" She says through her teeth. Oh shit, this doesn't seem good.

I awkwardly clear my throat, "Her name is Emma, and as soon as Regina saw her at the reunion, everything went downhill from there. I mean I feel like she would rather spend time with her than with me. Not to mention what she was wearing today to see her." It was the most effort I've seen her put into her look this whole vacation besides the reunion itself.

"Emma." She growls. She looked absolutely disgusted. "And she's with her right now?"

"Yeah."

"Robin, that girl is bad news. You can't let this go on. Emma Swan is the reason Regina and I didn't speak for _years._ Emma Swan somehow makes Regina think she can do whatever the hell she wants to do."

I'm so angry right now, "So what should I do? Talking about it didn't work."

"What I always did when Regina misbehaved, slap some sense into her. Literally." Now this time I freeze. Wait, Cora wants me to hit her?

"Don't look at me like that, Robin. It's not that big of deal, and it completed the purpose, it told Regina who was really in charge." She states with her head held high.

"I don't know…"

She sighs, "Do you want her back or not? It doesn't have to be major, just enough to shake her up a bit. Just enough to give her that nudge. She will realize that going against you is wrong."

Could I really do such a thing? It seemed like too much but then again, Regina's behavior was really pissing me off. I miss how things used to be. And clearly arguing doesn't do shit.

"You still seem unsure. I didn't want to have to say this but maybe it will be what convinces you. Regina claimed she had _feelings_ for the girl, Robin. Disgusting. And now here she is, spending your vacation time with _her_." What? Regina used to have feelings for Emma?

Now everything makes sense. Why she's been distant, why we haven't really been intimate. Why she suddenly feels in control. What the fuck. I clench my fists. But nothing bad has really happened...yet. Well not that I'm aware of. I can't do anything drastic until I know for sure what's going on with her. I mean Regina and I are in love. We've been engaged and living our lives together. Surely she can't still feel that way about Emma, not after all we've been through.

"You think she still does?"

Cora laughs, "Nonsense. I made sure that wouldn't happen. And I assumed it would stay that way until now. Who knows what may happen in the future if this still goes on, if they get close again. And unfortunately, I can't physically keep Regina away this time. I would hate to let that little blonde tramp get in the way of what you two have. You make her better, Robin."

"Fine, I'll try your idea but only if things get unbearable. For now I'm going to lay low." Cora looked as if she wanted to say something more but she doesn't. Inside I hoped Regina wouldn't be stupid enough to let it come to this solution but if I have to, I will.

XX

 **(Emma's POV)**

We all laugh until our stomachs hurt, "Were they really that orange?" Elsa asks.

Regina and I look at each other and laugh even harder, tears coming out of our eyes. My mom speaks up through her giggles, "Yeah...they were like oompa loompas! And the best part…" She starts dying again, "...dear lord, the best part was that they tried hiding it from me. I walk outside and find them using the hose and trying to scrub off the tanning lotion from their skin in a panic. It was hilarious!"

Dad laughs, "She sent photos to me and I laughed for a full ten minutes at work!"

I shake my head, "We were freaking out! We were dreading going to school after that."

Regina grins, "Yeah and then we told everyone we went to Jamaica that weekend." She says as she laughs behind her hand.

Elsa chuckles "I can't believe I don't remember seeing you guys like this!"

"I know! It was pretty unforgettable." I say. That was awful but at least I wasn't orange alone. It was great, I could do the most idiotic things, but I knew that no matter what, Regina would be doing the same idiotic thing as me.

After we finished eating our delicious baked chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy and fresh green beans, we started having these types of fun conversations. Which mostly consisted of making fun of me - something my parents are too good at.

My parents end up leaving around 8:30. We all had a great time and they weren't weird towards Regina at all, it felt just like the old days. Elsa connected with Regina well, too. I was extremely happy with how things went today. But, I wasn't ready for Regina to leave.

Apparently Elsa wasn't either, "Regina, wanna stay for a few drinks?" And by a few, Elsa always means 'let's get drunk until we can't remember anything'. Although to be fair, Elsa is such a lightweight.

Regina looks at me and hesitates. I smile at her and she seems to relax a bit, "Sure why not? Let me just send Robin a text and we can get started."

When Regina is ready, I ask, "Drinking game anyone?"

"Hell yeah."

"Totally."

They say in unison. I smile and grab a deck of cards and a bunch of alcohol. "Today's game is…" I do a little drumroll on the living room table, "King's Cup!"

Regina and Elsa grin at me with excited eyes. "So what will everyone be drinking tonight?" I ask.

Elsa says, "Ooo give me that bottle of peach vodka." I hand it her. "Gina? What would you like?"

"Actually, you have another bottle of that? That sounds good."

"Mhmm, it's one of our favorites. I mine as well grab me a bottle too." I run back to the kitchen to put away the other alcohol and grab us both a bottle of peach vodka. When I return, I press the power button on the stereo and spread the cards out in a sloppy pile making sure they're all face down.

"Elsa, you first." I point to her. She selects the first card and it's a 2. "Two for you." She says to Regina. Regina huffs and takes a shot of her vodka.

I snicker at her, "Ha-ha, Gina."

She glares at me, "I can handle my alcohol quite well so it's going to take a while for me to get there, Emma. And you better hope I don't get a jack." Jacks meant whoever chooses the card gets to make up a rule. I gulp and turn my attention back to the cards. I select a 4, which means we all have to tap the floor. As soon I lay it down, my fingers hit the ground, Regina was second and Elsa was last.

"Damn it!" Elsa says before taking a shot straight from the bottle.

Regina selects a card which is 9. That means Regina chooses a word and we all have to name ones that rhyme, whoever repeats a word or can't think of one, they drink.

Regina says, "Law." I roll my eyes.

"Saw."

"Doll." I say and look to Regina with challenging eyes.

"Crawl." She gives me a smug look. Damn.

"Mall."

"Tall!" Shit, games make me excited.

"Umm...ball." I thought Regina was going to crack that time.

"Doll."

My eyes grow wide, "I already said that! You know what that means. Drink up bitch!" I say to Elsa.

"Screw you, Emma." She says jokingly before downing a second drink. Regina and I laugh. We play through about half the deck before stopping. I did not want anyone puking tonight. Elsa was the worst out of all us and Regina wasn't too far behind. _I_ ended up choosing a jack and made Regina drink every time she laughed. And the more drunk she got, the more she would laugh.

I didn't play the game like I usually do. I usually drink a good amount of alcohol when playing just as Elsa and Regina did but as I was just starting to feel a buzz, I thought of something. What if I do or say something completely stupid to Regina? The things I'm feeling right now makes getting shit-faced way too risky. So right now, I'm pretty sober which was good for that reason and because it looks like Elsa and Regina are going to need a babysitter.

Elsa stands up and gets between me and Regina, throwing her arms around us. Her words are slurred, "You guysss are so cool. You know that? Cool people dance, we should dance!"

Regina puts her hand in the air, "Okay!" I chuckle.

Elsa stumbles over to the open spot in the living room and starts spinning. Regina yells obnoxiously, "Elsa! Don't drunk when you're spin!"

I snort, "You mean don't spin when you're drunk?"

Regina looks at me confused as ever, "What?"

I pat her on the head and give her a reassuring smile, "Nevermind." I look over at Elsa who has stopped spinning but is still having a blast dancing in her own world. I stand up and when I do Elsa falls. "Whoa!" She says. Me and Regina giggle.

"You dumbass." I say. She gets up and drags herself to the couch. "I spun too much." Elsa informs us before laying down. "Guys, I suggest you don't spin. Spinning is bad...bad for you. Like a tornado. A tornado!" She yells before closing her eyes and pulling a pillow over her head.

I place a blanket over her before I mouth 'what the hell' to a grinning Regina. She approaches me and grabs my hands, pulling me to dance with her. I can't tell what song is on but all I know is that it's upbeat. We start to let loose and dance, just having fun and whipping our hair around. The stereo goes quiet as it switches songs so I take this time to turn it up. I toss the remote somewhere on the couch next to Elsa and walk back to Regina.

I swallow hard as Skin by Rihanna comes on. Regina looks at me and licks her lips. She starts swaying her body to the sensual beat and I feel like I could fall over. Shit, shit, shit.

Suddenly, Regina turns around and moves backwards so that the back of her body is against the front of mine.

She's so warm and moves so good. She smelled amazing and I wanted to do so many things to her. I wanted to pull her even closer against me, and tease her with my tongue. I almost do. Thank god I'm sober right now.

This is just dancing, nothing wrong with that, right? Her ass grinds into me and my hands go to her sides and move slowly to her waist. I wanted to savor every touch and every moment. She moans and I automatically feel the heat gather between my legs. Okay, maybe it's more than dancing. But I can't stop, not when she's so close to me. She turns around and places her hands on my chest while we both sway our hips to the beat. My hands grip her waist harder. She looks up at me, slightly flushed and licks those red, plump lips again. She mouths the line 'just put your skin baby on my skin' and I stare down at them way too long.

"You're so sexy." She breathes out.

Did she just say that? Holy shit! That can just be the adult way of saying pretty, right?

Her hands go to my back and down to my ass, squeezing gently with makes a low moan escape my mouth. "I knew you'd like that." She purrs. She looks at me with dark eyes full of desire and I knew I was under her control and there was no turning back.

My hands go to her hair, I tug back slightly so her neck is more visible, I start nipping and licking at it before finding her pulse point and sucking lightly. She sighs with pleasure. No, no this is wrong. She's drunk and she is engaged. I remove my lips from her neck.

As soon as I pull my face back, she crashes her lips to mine. I whimper and can't help but kiss back. She automatically opens her mouth and our tongues fight for dominance. Kissing her was...incredible! Her lips were so soft and she tasted so good. Her fingers play with the bottom of my shirt, my bare skin tingles when her fingertips brush it. We kiss until we're out of breath. Then my mind focuses again, this is wrong!

I pull back and out of her arms, "Um. We probably should stop."

She slowly walks towards me again, "Why, we just got started." Her husky voice makes my knees weak.

"Because you're engaged."

She pouts, "I don't care. I only care about you." I gasp quietly, it's so hard to tell what's true and what's not. Alcohol can make you say things you don't mean but it can also bring out things you mean the most. So what was it for her, are her words truthful?

She's in my personal space right now and I feel my heart beating faster, "Come on, Em-ma. I've thought about this so many times." Her hand caresses my cheek, then her index finger trails down my chin. I shiver at her voice and her touch. My breathing is short and quite noticeable.

Again, thank god I'm sober or else we both would be very naked right now. The wetness between my legs confirms that. It takes all of my strength but I do it, I step back and squeeze my eyes shut briefly. "I think we should just sleep." I grab the remote and turn off the music.

She frowns, "Is there something wrong with me?" Her eyes almost look glossy.

"Not at all, Regina. But you're not thinking straight right now. I can't let you do something you might regret."

She stays silent, who knows if she can even really process my words right now. She had a lot of vodka. I grab her hand and pull her to my room. She crashes the instant her head hits my bed, or at least I think so since she doesn't say anything. I pull my comforter over us and try to fall asleep.

I wake up feeling as if I didn't sleep at all. Then I remember how long it took to fall asleep last night. Last night. I look over at the other side of my bed, but it's empty. Damn. Where did Regina go?

Well maybe it's actually late right now and I just slept too long. She probably woke up earlier and - holy fucking shit. We kissed! We kissed last night! I had Regina freaking Mills' lips on my own. I remember it clear as day because it felt like everything I could have ever imagined plus so much more.

Wait and now she's gone. Was it bad for her, did she even remember? Does this mean she feels the same way about me as I do her? Ugh, that's way too many questions to process right now.

I walk carefully to the kitchen to make some breakfast but stop when I see Elsa sitting up on the couch with her head in her hands.

"Feeling like shit, huh?"

Elsa looks up at me, " I've been sitting like this for over an hour. I'm never drinking again."

I smile, "You say that every time. I'll grab ya an aspirin."

I return shortly with a glass of water and aspirin for Elsa. She mutters a 'thanks' and takes it down. "Regina left shortly after I woke up by the way."

Thinking of Regina almost makes me nauseous. We kissed. And she was all over me. Do I tell Elsa? I glance at her and she looks like death. Maybe later when she feels more up to it.

I slowly start cleaning the house, taking my time as I think about how and why we kissed. As soon as the house is clean, I'm going to confront her about it. I have to know how she feels.

 **It's about time they kissed haha. I wonder how Regina will react when Emma confronts her! Find out soon, dearies.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: The Plan**

 **Quick note: Hi guys! So I know some of you are concerned about Robin hurting Regina because that's something Robin would never do. That's true for ONCE but here, you never know. That's the beautiful and crazy thing about fanfiction, we get to create thousands and thousands of different scenarios for characters on a show that we love! This is** _ **not**_ **me saying Robin is going to hurt her for sure - I don't know which direction I'm going to take it yet. Just please be patient with me :) Thank you!**

I've been standing outside of Regina's room at Granny's for several minutes now. I'm quite nervous if I'm being honest. What if she doesn't remember? Then I have to face the awkwardness of telling her what happened.

And what if she does remember and she's traumatized by it? Oh god, this is why having feelings for your friend is bad. Very bad. It makes things so fucking complicated. But I refuse to ignore it, because maybe, just maybe she feels the same way as me. My heart flutters at the thought. Emma, do _not_ get your hopes up. The chances of that are immensely slim.

I lick my dry lips and wipe my clammy hands on my pants before knocking lightly on the door. A few moments later, Regina answers. I was happy Robin didn't since clearly he doesn't like me. Or at least not enough to give me the time of day.

She greets me with wide eyes, "E-Emma. What are you doing here?" She walks out in the hallway and closes the door behind her. She seems a bit antsy.

I rub my hands together wondering how the hell to even begin this conversation. "Um...do you happen to-to remember last night at all?" I feel as if the tiny amount of confidence I had drained from my body. Damn it.

She shakes her head twice but stops, letting out a long sigh, "Yeah. I remember most of it, I'm a little fuzzy on some parts like the drinking game but the intense things after that, I...it keeps replaying in my mind." She says a bit agitated.

"We're talking about the kiss right?"

She rolls her eyes and breathes out, "Yes."

"So...why did you?" I ask quietly. Oh shit, am I ready for this answer? Oh god, please don't throw up right now.

She shrugs, "I was drunk." I notice how she can barely make eye contact with me.

I place of hands on my hips, "You didn't just kiss me, you said things…"

"I'm aware, and like I said, I was drunk. Sorry for getting out of hand." She crosses her arms. She's lying to me, I can feel it. It almost makes me smile considering it's probably more than she's letting on. But her lying about it makes me frown.

I mock her position, "I think it's more than that." She bites her lip and swallows thickly.

I sigh, "Can't you admit what we both already know?" I needed her to say it out loud, then it would be real.

She shakes her head, "I don't know what you're talking about."

I grab her hand, "Come on, Gina. You do." You have to, I think to myself. She stares at our hands and I almost think she's actually going to say it. But instead, she retracts her hand.

"Drunk people say and do stuff they don't mean all the time so I really don't know what you want me to say, Emma."

Like hell she doesn't! I'm so annoyed. So, this is how she wants to do this shit? Fine, I'll go with her little lie because I may know another way to get it out of her.

I glare at her, "Fine. I'll text you later." I turn on my heel and leave without another glance back. Alright, time for a plan, this is going to be fun.

XX

Ruby nibbles on her onion rings, "So, where are we getting drinks tonight?"

I expected her to think that's why I wanted to meet up with her today since that's how it's always gone. We get a late lunch and then get ready to go drink ourselves into a near coma at some clubs. But not this time.

"We're not actually. I have something a bit...different than our usual plans."

She raises an eyebrow and looks at me suspiciously, "Well, that's unexpected. So what is it?" She taps her fingers impatiently on the table, clearly quite curious as to what I'll say.

"How do I put this...okay. Will you be my fake date to make Regina jealous?" I ask the question so fast I wasn't even sure she heard me correctly. Although based on her wide eyes and the sudden smirk, I knew she did.

"I knew it!"

I roll my eyes, "Actually before you start thinking so highly of yourself, it wasn't like this that time at the diner...but then things happened."

She places her chin in her hands, "Oh, do tell!"

I sigh, "We played King's Cup with Elsa at my apartment and of course Elsa passed out super early." Ruby chuckles. "And then we started dancing to a really sensual song and she was all over me and we kind of made out. Then...then she said she didn't even care about being engaged!"

Ruby shrieks lightly, causing a few people to look in our direction, "Yes! Wait, so what's the problem?"

I get irritated thinking about it, "The problem is that when I asked her about it this morning, she claimed it was just the alcohol. That it meant nothing. She was lying to me Ruby, I could tell."

Ruby gives me a look, "Emma, I know you're good at spotting a lie but are you sure your mind wasn't just hoping it was a lie so that...you guys could be together?"

My hands go in the air, "No! I saw it in her eyes, Ruby."

She nods and holds up her hands at my defensive tone, "Okay, I believe you. So...about this date, how jealous are we talking here?"

I try to hold back my grin, "Don't do anything traumatic, Ruby." She opens her mouth to protest but I cut her off by holding a finger to her mouth, "Ruby. Nothing traumatic. But, I do want to see her angry."

Ruby smirks, "That I can do." We finish up our food and before I leave, I told her I'd text her what the plans are. I haven't even asked Regina to go on a double date yet. Unfortunately that requires me to see her with Robin but I have a feeling her eyes will be focused on other things.

I'm going to wait a few days before asking. I mean what kind of person would I be if I went out on the date the same day of basically telling Regina how I felt about her? Okay, I didn't say that at all but it had to have been obvious right? Or maybe she took it as in I didn't feel those things for her at all so maybe she felt ashamed if she did for me which is why she wouldn't admit them.

I know, I know. Maybe things would be simpler if _I_ downright came forward and told her how much I want to be with her. But why should I? She is the one that came on strong to me and of course when I confront her about it, I still look like the fool! She would probably still treat me that way if I told her how I felt and that would be way too humiliating.

So for now, I'm going to be immature and play games with her. Because that's essentially what she did to me and that makes me mad. Plus, this might actually be the only way to get her honest feelings said out loud.

What if I'm wrong though? What if it really was the alcohol?

I guess how she acts during the double date with tell me for sure. Damn I wish it could be tonight, I know that's all I'll be thinking about until then!

When Elsa comes home, I tell her about the double date idea.

She shakes her head, "That's crazy, Emma. I love it." I smile widely at her. I honestly thought she would scold me for it.

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's fun and clever. If she truly was lying when you talked to her about it, what else are you supposed to do? Obviously she's scared and saying she was drunk was an easy way out. If she shows any signs of jealousy on the date, she won't have alcohol to blame this time."

I nod, "Exactly. I'm excited for this! If only she hadn't known our relationship yet or else I would have chosen you to be my date!"

She chuckles, "Well I know you'll tell me every single detail as soon as it's over." She rubs her hands together evilly.

I laugh and roll my eyes, "Duh."

XX

 **| Days Later (Regina's POV) |**

My phone buzzes and when I see that the message is from Emma, my stomach drops. I don't open it yet. I haven't been in contact with Emma since the morning after our...kiss. Fuck, I messed everything up!

I shouldn't have been so forward with her. Damn alcohol. Unfortunately everything I said was...true. I want to be with her as much as that scares me. But I love Robin too and it would be so shitty if I just abandoned him like that. I want both but I know that's impossible.

As of recently though, Emma has been the only one on my mind. Things with Robin are still a little weird but he never explains why. I just...some part of me feels like maybe things are coming to an end with us. Or that they're supposed to come to an end. Which seems absolutely insane considering how long we've been together. And it came out of nowhere, I don't understand. I've even had conversations in my mind about handing Robin back the ring, I'm an awful person. What if this thing with Emma is only temporary?

I am leaning strongly towards her but is that worth cutting Robin off forever? After years of being together?

When she came to me that morning and basically asked me to state my feelings out loud...I couldn't do it. First of all, did she love me back? Like hell am I going to admit such personal feelings to her only to be rejected and awkwardly thrown in the friend zone. She would always know that's how I feel and she would be weird around me. I don't want our returning friendship to end or be ruined by stupid feelings.

And second is obviously Robin. Sure most of this vacation he has been a complete pain in the ass and is driving me nuts. He's been different and moody and selfish. It was something I've never seen so strongly before and it was upsetting. Like who is he for real? But that doesn't change the good memories of our past, the Robin that helped me grow.

I just don't know what to do. I wanted to kiss Emma and tell her to take me away forever but it's not that simple.

I shake my head and sigh as I finally open Emma's message. I read it once and my mouth drops open. I blink rapidly before reading it again.

 **E: Hey, so I'm sorry about the other day. You were right, it was the alcohol speaking. Not you. Sorry for pushing you over something that ended up being nothing. I don't want our friendship ruined because of something like that. So, that being said, wanna do a double date tomorrow night?**

A double date? A double date? Wait, who the hell could Emma possibly be going out with? I swallow thickly at the thought. But wait, does this mean she doesn't love me? It has to, or else she wouldn't be going on a damn date tomorrow.

Thank god I didn't admit my feelings to her that day. I would have been fucking rejected and humiliated. Emma doesn't love me. My heart sinks, I feel incredibly disappointed and heartbroken.

I really shouldn't though. This makes my decision between Robin and Emma a lot easier. I mean, you can't choose someone who doesn't have mutual feelings.

I want to say no to this whole thing but I knew if I did, it would seem suspicious and probably go against everything we just established. I hear Robin turn the shower off and shortly after he emerges from the bathroom with a towel around his waist.

"Hey, would you like to go on a double date tomorrow?"

He nods, "That sounds nice. Who are we going with?"

I give him a tight smile, "Emma and whoever she's bringing."

His eyebrows shoot up to his forehead, "Oh. Well sure." I frown a little because I'm not sure why he seems so surprised right now. His emotions this vacation have been hard to keep up with.

I clear my throat, "Okay, great."

He changes into his pajama pants and is about to put his shirt on but I stop him, "Don't." I bite my lip and pull him to the bed, removing my shirt instead. Emma doesn't love me, I have to focus on the person who does.

I have to make sure I still feel the same way.

XX

We park at the Red Robin's in Brunswick. It was a nice change of pace from Granny's or the coffee shop. I'm a bit nervous. Who did Emma bring and could I truly stand to seem them together?

Last night with Robin...it wasn't the same. The feeling I used to have seems to have faded drastically. It scares me and I don't know what to do! I'm hoping that maybe if I come to terms that Emma only sees me as a friend, that maybe my true feelings for Robin will come through again.

I touch up my lipstick and fix my hair before opening the door and grabbing Robin's hand. He tightens his grip and smiles brightly at me. I smile back too because he seemed so happy.

The sad part is, is that he really, really shouldn't be.

I noticed on the way in that Emma's bug was here. I reach into my purse for my phone and surely enough, Emma sent a text saying she got a table already.

I approach the hostess, "Hello, we're actually meeting someone here, Emma Swan."

She smiles and nods, "Ah of course, right this way." We follow her past crowded tables and loads of chatter and laughter. It was very busy here. Reminds me of why I rarely go out of Storybrooke. Sure it was a nice change but overall, I enjoy how calm it is there.

We finally stop and my mouth drops open slightly. Emma is sitting there smiling like an idiot to none other than Ruby from Granny's. Emma is on a date with her?

Emma notices us, "Hey guys!" Ruby smiles at us at well.

Oh god, I feel nauseous. Ruby is younger and gorgeous and has such damn long legs. I can't compete with that! Wait, there's nothing to compete for because Emma _doesn't_ feel that way for me. I sigh. This is going to be a long dinner…

 **Don't worry, the next chapter will pick up right where this one left off!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Your Green is Showing**

 **Thanks for your continued feedback, you guys are great. :)**

 **(Emma's POV)**

I just now notice Regina and Robin standing there, Regina looks in utter shock which almost makes me laugh, "Hey guys!"

"Hello." Robin says politely. Regina's eyes go back and forth between me and Ruby before she finally says, "Uh hi!" Her enthusiasm seemed entirely too forced.

Okay, this is just too easy. I squeeze Ruby's arm under the table as Regina and Robin take their seats. She laughs silently into my shoulder before gathering herself quickly so that our company doesn't question it.

"A waiter will be with you shortly." The hostess informs us. We all thank her and my attention is pulled to Ruby rubbing my arm. Shit, here we go.

My eyes flash to Regina who is staring at this simple gesture.

"Regina." Robin says but Regina doesn't answer. "Regina." He tries again. Regina snaps out of her gaze and turns to Robin, blushing slightly, "Huh, what?"

He frowns, "I asked if you wanted to get an appetizer."

"Sorry, uh no not tonight. I'm not super hungry." She opens her menu and buries her face into it. This is the best plan I've ever come up with.

Our waiter approaches us, "Hello, my name is Andrew and I will be serving you this evening. Can I start you guys off with some drinks? We have coke products, lemonade, margaritas…"

Ruby's eyes go wide, "Ooo everyone trust me when I say this but the strawberry lemonade is to die for!"

We all chuckle before Robin says, "Well I guess I _have_ to get that then."

Andrews asks, "So four then?"

"Yes." We all inform him. He smiles brightly, "Great, those will be out soon." We all sit in silence as we look over the rather large menu. They had so much food here, I don't know how I'm going to choose anything.

Our waiter gives us our drinks but we still need a few minutes to order our food. I take a sip of the strawberry lemonade and let out a quiet moan. It was so damn good!

"So, what about you babe? You want an appetizer?" Ruby asks me.

I bite my lip, "Whatever you want Rubes, you know I like anything." I grab her hand and we place them on the table between us and I slowly rub her hand with my thumb. Regina glances at them and then quickly goes back to the menu.

Robin is watching her closely, looking very….skeptical? I don't even know why he would be though, I doubt he has any clue what's going on.

Ruby smirks, "Well I would suggest something but what I _truly_ want to eat is a little bit inappropriate to say." Regina starts choking on her lemonade and I bite my tongue until I taste blood to keep from one, laughing and two, yelling at Ruby.

Robin blushes and stirs his straw in his drink awkwardly. I give Ruby a look to tell her to tone it down a bit. She just drinks and smiles at me. Little pain in the ass.

Robin clears his throat, "Um Ruby, you were right, this lemonade is amazing."

We all murmur in agreement. "So Robin, what do you do?" I ask so that things don't get too weird.

He seems relieved for the subject change, "I work at Kronos. We are basically a service that manages a workforce's entire organization."

I nod, "Oh yeah, I knew Kronos sounded familiar. I think that was the system one of my old jobs used to clock in and organize our schedules."

"Mhmm. And we go much more beyond that but it's pretty boring so I won't get into it."

I sip my lemonade which is already halfway gone, "Regina, you've been so quiet." I turn to the others, "Which is funny because she used to be such a chatterbox when we were younger, sometimes I didn't think she would ever stop talking."

Ruby chuckles and Robin smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes. Oops.

Regina looks at me, "Sorry, I just am trying to decide is all. And excuse me but I think you were the one who could never shut up." Her tone is full of irritation and I notice how Robin narrows his eyes at her.

Andrew comes back and takes our order. Ruby gets the banzai burger, I choose the bacon cheeseburger, Regina orders a taco salad, and Robin orders the burger with the fried mushrooms on it. We keep light conversation for a bit until our food arrives. Yes, I wanted to torture Regina but I didn't want her to be downright miserable. So Ruby and I gave her a break which seemed to ease her out of her earlier mood...a little.

Now that our food is finally here, it's time to turn it up a notch. Ruby bites into her burger, "Mmm. Delicious!" I giggle when I see sauce on her cheek. I feel Regina's eyes on me from the sound of my laughter and use this opportunity to flirt with Ruby. Robin was speaking to Regina but she was not listening.

"Ruby, you have a little something on your face." My finger swipes the sauce from her cheek and I slowly suck my finger clean, removing my finger with a small popping sound.

Regina's dark eyes stare into my soul and Robin stares at her, now looking pissed off.

"Was that good? Because that was just the sauce, come here and try the whole thing." She leans in and kisses me deeply. Damn, she really is taking this seriously isn't she? It's so fucking great!

Regina gasps which makes me pull away. She isn't looking at us now but instead at her plate. She moves around her lettuce with a fork before taking a small bite. It sits in her mouth longer than it should and it almost seems as if she's forcing it down her throat.

This is basically how the whole evening went: Ruby and I would flirt lightly and Regina would glare at us as Robin glared at Regina. It was awkward and uncomfortable but totally fucking worth it! Regina is _so_ jealous which proves to me that she has some sort of feelings for me! I heart flutters picturing that thought, that the most beautiful woman in the world could possibly be mine.

After we finished and everything was paid for, we stand up to say goodbye. It was short and seemed forced by both Robin and Regina. They both looked exhausted and well...angry. Good, that's kind of what I was going for. Ruby and I walk hand in hand until we are in my bug.

"Oh my god." She says before dying.

I laugh too until my stomach hurts, "Did you see Regina's face?"

"How could I not, she was staring daggers at us!" Ruby exclaims before coughing a little from laughing so hard. She takes a deep breath to get it together again.

I hold out my fist, "Job well done. You should do this for a living." She fist bumps me back and smirks, "Damn right, I should. I'm the fucking master of flirting."

I shake my head and chuckle before driving us home. Tomorrow I would talk to Regina. She cannot lie to me this time.

XX

 **(Regina's POV)**

The ride home was silent. I knew Robin was incredibly angry by the way his nostrils flared and his knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel so hard. What I don't know is why and I'm too exhausted and heart-broken to ask.

Seeing Emma and Ruby together...killed me inside. And it made me realize how much I still love Emma Swan. I'm mean after reuniting our friendship again, I realized I never stopped loving her but I didn't think I did _this_ much until now. I can't keep Robin in the dark anymore, I have to tell him or else we both are going to be miserable. It's not right.

As soon as the door to our room closes, Robin asks, "What the hell was that?" He looks furious, I wouldn't have been surprised if smoke poured out from his ears. I try to remain as calm as possible. I've seen him angry like this before. Never towards me but it was still just as alarming.

I hold up my hands, "Robin, I have to tell yo-"

His overpowering voice interrupts me as he paces back and forth with clenched fists, "Your mother was right! I should have taken her word for it, I should have stopped things before they got out of hand." What? My mother? What the fuck did that mean?

I frown, "What are you talking about?"

"Like I wouldn't notice your sudden change in behavior, Regina. So I went to the only other person I could talk to since all we did was end up arguing anyways without fixing our shit. I went to your mother's house and wow did she have something to tell me." He shakes his head.

My mouth goes dry. Mother told him? "Robin...I'm so sorry."

He finally looks at me but this time he seemed more broken than angry with his teary eyes, "Are you in love with her?" It was barely audible which made it hard to find my own voice.

"Robin, when we were kids, I-"

"No!" He yells, "I don't care about that, I'm asking you right now in this very moment. Do you love Emma Swan?"

My eyes water and one tear even escapes, "Yes." I whisper.

His eyes retreat down to the floor and he starts breathing heavily from anger. He walks over to the nearest wall and punches it, his fist going straight into it. I gasp at the now fairly noticeable hole in the wall.

He storms back over to me and grabs my wrists, roughly pulling me towards him, "How could you do this to me after the life we've created? How?" His grip tightens causing me to groan. "So you loved her in highschool, big deal. How does seeing her for only two weeks after ten years make you love her again?"

He squeezes even tighter, "Ow, Robin you're hurting me!" I pull back with all my strength. It takes him a moment before he realizes exactly how strong his grip on me was. He quickly lets go and backs away, sitting on the bed with his head in his hands.

I rub my wrists with my hands, knowing there would be bruises tomorrow. This was the first time he's ever physically hurt me like that.

"I'm sorry."

I shake my head and sit beside him, "Don't be. I fucked up."

His looks over at me and just stares before saying, "You never answered my question. How did this happen?"

I swallow hard and sigh, "That night that I...saw her at the reunion, I realized that the strong love I felt for her all those years ago never went away. I thought it did, Robin. I truly did. But it didn't and when I began fixing things with her, it only grew." I pause to wipe under my eyes.

"I was so stuck because I still loved you. And then overtime, I felt like my love for you was-was fading away just like that. It scared me. Then Emma tells me she has a date so I felt it wasn't necessary to end things with you when Emma doesn't feel the same for me. I thought that by accepting that, I could fix what you and I had, Robin."

He doesn't say anything, he just gazes straight ahead.

"Can you please say something?"

His red eyes make me feel even more guilty, "What could I possibly say? The person I thought I would marry and grow old with tells me she doesn't love me anymore."

"Rob-"

"Is this what you truly want?"

More than anything, I think to myself. I don't say that because that would be cruel. Despite his crude behavior recently, I hated hurting him. Our years spent together is something I'll never regret. "I think I always have, I just lost sight of it because I was forced to."

"Because of Cora?"

I nod, "Yes. She couldn't accept her only daughter being into a girl." I deadpan. Who cares who I want to date?

He gets up and pulls out his suitcase. I stare at him in silence, wondering what he's doing. I ask, "Where are you going?"

He sighs and turns around, "Back to Boston."

I open my mouth to forgo that thought but he stops me, "Regina, I've seen the way you look at her. You've never looked at me that way before. That will never be us. And don't even get me started about how you were acting tonight. You couldn't even stand seeing Emma with another woman. And while I don't want to lose you, I'm afraid I already have. Or maybe you were never even mine in the first place. I can't bear being around you without actually being with you. Not right now anyways. I'm going back and I will try to figure something out there." He returns to his suitcase.

I'm honestly at a loss for words. I feel awful for what I did to him. Part of me wants to throw up. And now that I can actually have Emma, she is unavailable. And what am I supposed to say to her when she sees I'm no longer with Robin? Could I truly tell her what happened when she doesn't even feel the same way? I can't imagine how guilty she'd feel.

"I'm sorry Robin. I never meant for any of this to happen."

He zips his suitcases up and grabs his stuff from the bathroom. When he returns he says, "Of course you didn't mean it. But it happened. I wish I could change it but I don't think I can…I don't want you to have to force yourself to be happy with me. I want to be with someone who truly wants to be with me."

I slide my engagement ring off my finger and grab his hand, gently releasing the ring into it. "Give it to someone who's truly worthy of it. Robin, you're wonderful and you deserve better than me okay? What I did to you is...unforgivable and I'm sorry that you had to waste so many years on me." My lip trembles, mostly from pure guilt. It's hard to look into his pain-filled eyes.

His shaky hand grips the ring and he slides it into his pocket. "I've known I was losing you for quite some time now. I just couldn't admit it or say it out loud. But it was happening. And now it's too late to fix it so I'm going to have to live with that mistake. I'm sorry I couldn't be good enough for you." One of his tears leaks down his face and it takes a lot not to wipe it away.

He turns around and leaves in silence. I wanted to keep apologizing but it wasn't going to change anything. We both know where we stand.

As soon as the door shuts, I start sobbing uncontrollably. I'm a horrible person.

XX

I open my eyes to the sound of knocking at my door. I rub my eyes a little before sitting up. I must have cried myself to sleep. It was nearing night time and I was wondering who on earth would be here at this time. I trudge to the door, glancing at the hole in the wall on the way out. I have to remember to pay for that.

I fix my hair and let out a long breath of air before opening the door to none other than Emma Swan herself.

"Regina, we need to talk."

I bite my lip before saying, "Yes, I suppose we do." My voice is slightly hoarse from crying earlier.

She squints her eyes at me likely noticing what a mess I probably am, "Hey, what's wrong?"

And I freeze. I don't know what to say or where to start. Do I tell her the whole truth? Or do I just tell her that Robin and I are no longer together? Am I ready to hear her rejection out loud?

I leave the door open but walk back inside to the couch in silence. Part of me hoped she would follow and part of me hoped she would stay away because I so stuck on what to even do.

I guess the right thing is always to be truthful. I mean I wasn't honest in the past and see what happened? I sigh as she sits next to me. And so the truth it will be…


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Freedom**

 **Hey guys! Can't thank you all enough for being such active readers, you are truly amazing!**

 **Also...I can't decide if I want to just end this story or have a sequel to it. I have two very different directions I could take it but I'm very indecisive. I also have a delicious storyline planned for my next story, I can't wait for it!**

 **Enjoy this next update :)**

 **(Emma's POV)**

I look at Regina's red eyes and slightly smeared makeup. Oh god, I didn't do this to her right? I mean, I knew she'd be upset but this has to be something more. After a few silent moments on the couch, I bring her into my arms. She instantly hugs back tightly, quietly crying into my shoulder.

I rub her back gently, "Gina, it's going to be alright. Just tell me what happened okay?"

"I-I'm an awful person." She sniffs and pulls back. I snatch a tissue from the coffee table and hand it to her. She gives me a half-smile and cleans her face up a bit.

"I highly doubt that. But why would you say that?" My hand rubs her thigh in a comforting gesture. Her eyes watch my hand instead of looking at me. It's almost as if she's in a trance for a few seconds. Maybe it was her way of trying to relax.

She sighs and looks at me, "Robin and I broke up."

My eyes widen and my heart skips a beat. Regina and Robin aren't together anymore, which means...well what does that mean exactly?

"Why?"

She rubs her hands together, nervous as ever. Come on, Gina. Please say what I've been wanting to hear this whole time. Please say it. I love her too much to hear anything else.

She shakes her head, "Because...of y-you, Emma. I want to be _with_ you." She says quietly, blushing. I smile widely. "But it doesn't matter because you have Ruby now and I couldn't even compare so now I'm stuck and alone and-"

I cut her off by grabbing her chin and turning her head towards me. Her chocolate eyes widen and draw down to my lips, that's when I lean in and bring my lips to hers. She gasps but then quickly returns the kiss. It was soft and sweet. I pull back and to see her awestruck and glowing. "You idiot. Ruby was a fake date to make you jealous." I look down at my hands. Saying that out loud makes it seem so wrong.

"What? Wait so when you suspected I liked you, you liked me back? Why didn't you say anything?" She didn't seem mad, she just seemed surprised.

"You really think I would have told you that after how you acted when I confronted you about the kiss? You made it seem like nothing and I didn't want to expose myself only to be embarrassed. So...I thought by making you jealous at dinner, I could see for sure how you felt. And no alcohol would be used to blame." I sigh, "I'm sorry."

She smiles, "Don't be sorry. You doing that got us here." She rubs my arm. "Although, seeing you kiss and touch Ruby was one of the hardest things I ever had to watch. Never. Do. That. Again."

I give her a guilty grin, "I won't and I suppose it did get us here. How did Robin take it?"

"He didn't take it well yet he took it really well...if that makes sense." I raise an eyebrow, urging her to go on since I'm not sure what exactly that means.

"He was angry at first, very angry. Then he was heartbroken and that's what made me feel terrible. The sadness in his eyes was absolutely agonizing. We talked for a good length of time and he ended up going back to Boston."

I frown, "He went to Boston, just like that? That seems hard to believe, he loved you Regina. How could he have just left without wanting to fix things?"

She nibbles on her lip, her eyes darting nervously around the room, "Oh he definitely wanted to fix things but he knew that just wasn't possible. Emma, I didn't start feelings things for you on this vacation. I-I have loved you since we were in school and seeing you again made me realize that I have always loved you since then. And even more so now. He was fully aware of that and knew it couldn't be undone." She releases a long breath.

"You...you loved me then?" My eyes water.

She smiles and I just notice how her eyes are wet too, "So much, Emma. There was one thing I left out when I told you about my abuse." She pauses as she anxiously runs her hands through her hair.

"My mother was getting on me about rejecting every boy that wanted to come into my life. She didn't want me to do the same in college. You know how she is about a man being the answer." I roll my eyes and she shakes her head. "I told her I never felt anything for those boys, or any boys for that matter. And my reasoning was because I only ever felt things for you. She was so pissed and hurt me." Her fingers go up to that peculiar lip scar of hers. That's where that came from? Oh Regina. My heart ached for her.

She continues, "That's when she drew the line. Yes, that part about her believing you were a bad influence was true. She taught me to always be poise and proper and I hated that. With you I was free. But the true reasoning for her separating us was because I wanted to be with you."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing! This whole time...this whole time Regina has loved me. "I...I love you too, Regina. I always have loved you too." Tears fall down my face as I lean in to kiss her once more. Her hands gently tangle in my hair as I release a low moan into her mouth. I'm kissing Regina Mills! And without alcohol! This is real. This is actually happening.

We pull apart and she laughs as she wipes my happy tears away with her slim finger. "You're so beautiful, Emma."

I beam at her and pull her up with me, embracing her tightly. I was so happy right now. This is all I ever wanted.

We end up going to bed just to sleep. We damn well could have done more but we just found out today how we felt about each other. It was a lot to take in so sleeping was probably best. And it was nice because it was just like old times. My arm went around her waist and she snuggled in close to me. Only this time, I held her tight as if I would never let her go again.

XX

"Why is it when I use the exact same pancake batter, they still don't taste this good?" I ask Regina.

"Because dear, I make mine with crispy edges. It gives it that extra nudge we all crave." She informs me smugly with her mouth full. I was surprised to see that, I guess being with me already has had her resort to her old ways and I loved it.

"True, mmmm." I take one last big bite and swallow it down with some milk. "I'm one lucky lady." I take her plate with mine and rinse them off in the sink. Her arms go around my stomach.

She whispers in my ear, "I'm the lucky one." I shiver and turn around in her arms, giving her a peck on the lips. I stare at her stunning face.

She smiles, "What is it?"

I shake my head, "I just can't believe this is really happening. I can't believe you're mine. I love that I can hold you and kiss you whenever I want. God, you're just so perfect."

"Hardly." She chuckles. "But thank you. And same here, Emma. I've pictured this so many times but I never thought it would ever be real. I feel...so free with you."

"Good, you should never feel anything else okay?"

She grins and nods her head. She pulls away and when she does, I notice her sleeves kind of shifted up, probably from when she slid her arms around me. Something seemed weird, "What the hell…" I murmur before reaching for one of her arms. I gasp when I see the finger marks more closely around her wrist.

"Who did this to you?" I ask through clenched teeth, although I'm pretty sure I already know based on how fresh the marks were and the size of them.

"Robin did." She answers quietly. She looks so ashamed.

I release her arm, "Oh if he was still here in Storybrooke, I would kick his fucking ass."

She rubs my arm, "I love that you are so protective, I really do. But it's okay now, you don't have to worry about what Robin does anymore. He is out of the picture."

I breathe in and out deeply to calm myself down and nod. "Okay, yeah you're right. Did he do that stuff often?"

"No, no. This was the first time, and it's honestly nothing compared to what mother put me through. Speaking of, we should get dressed."

I raise my eyebrow at her, "And why is that?"

"I...want to tell my mother about us."

My eyebrows shoot upwards, "You what? Regina, we are talking about the same woman who tore us apart and constantly abused you. Who the fuck cares if she knows. She doesn't deserve to know."

"I understand that but I want to show her that she didn't win. That despite everything, we still found our way to each other. I want to rub it in her damn face." Her eyes are dark and full of determination.

God, this fierce side of her is fucking hot. I smirk, "Let's do it." I can't wait to show that bitch of a woman who actually has the nerve to call herself a mom that we are dating. This will be so priceless! Maybe I should bring my camera…

Actually, I highly doubt I'll ever forget this moment that's to come.

After we are all ready and the dishes are washed, we head out to the car. We take my bug. "Since the moment I saw this, I always thought it was too cute. It fits you quite well."

I look at her as I back out of Granny's, "Awe. Are you saying I'm cute?"

She taps my nose which makes me scrunch it, "The cutest!" I laugh and shake my head. I could seriously get used to this.

It wasn't until I pulled into the driveway of the cold, intimidating mansion that I felt nervous. I wasn't sure what to expect out of this. What if Cora tries to hurt Regina?

Regina must have sensed my hesitation because she grabs my hand and comforts me, "Don't worry, I'm ready for whatever she'll bring. You know why?"

I shake my head.

"Because you always make me stronger, Emma. I know that with you by my side, I can get through anything. I wish I would have realized that back then. I was just scared, you know?"

I bring her hand to my lips, kissing her knuckles gently, "Yes, I do and that's okay. Because we still are together. Better late than never, right?"

She smiles at me with her perfect, white teeth, "Exactly."

"Ready?" I ask her. She holds her head up high, fire burning in her eyes.

"As ready as I'll ever be." We walk hand in hand to the door. I frown because I know as soon as Cora sees us like this, she will probably slam the door in our faces. I'm about to tell Regina this when she pulls out a key. Okay, why do I even attempt to doubt this woman?

We walk in and Regina stiffens, probably from the cold aroma we instantly feel from the house itself.

"I think she's upstairs, wait in the living room, okay?"

"Okay." I breathe out. I watch her disappear upstairs. Then I look around, my memory a little foggy since I was rarely ever in here. I walk down the hall and turn into the first room which looks like an office. Oops. I quickly exit that room and look at the very opposite end of the hallway to a room without doors. Oh, duh. Now I remember.

I enter the living room and sit down on the pristine couch with caution. This room looks as if it isn't even used. Which is actually how the whole house looks now that I think about it. I could never live like this.

My foot taps on the floor anxiously. I've never felt more nervous in my life, I almost wanted to run back to my car but I knew that wouldn't be right. Plus, I trust Regina and I stand by her no matter what.

I hear voices and footsteps coming closer and my mouth goes dry.

"What is it that's so important? You showing up here like this isn't very courteous especially since I haven't forgiven you for so rudely leaving this house last wee-" Cora stops when she sees me. Her shocked expression quickly turns to anger. I stand up and walk over to Regina.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She hisses.

I open my mouth but Regina is the one who speaks, "Mother, this is what I want to tell you. Robin and I were not made for each other and that is because I'm meant to be with Emma."

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! Robin is perfect for you." Her clenched fists tremble beside her.

"No, mother. He's perfect for _you_! Just because you approve of him and his ways doesn't mean I do! I love Emma. I always have." And just out of nowhere, Cora slaps my beautiful Regina on the cheek.

"You stupid, stupid girl."

I push Cora back and she stumbles onto the couch, looking at me with shock and hatred, "Hey! Don't you ever fucking lay a hand on her! This needs to end, now!"

Regina pulls me back and rubs my cheek. I try to control my anger which seems to have greatly decreased just from Regina's calming gesture. "Thank you, love. But I've got this okay?" She kisses my cheek which causes Cora to grunt with disgust.

"Regina, you don't know what you're doing. You never have! You are just going to ruin your life so go out there and get Robin back before it's too late! I chose him for the damn reason!"

I frown and Regina looks extremely caught of guard, "What do you mean you _chose_ him? I introduced you to Robin."

Cora looks utterly annoyed and shakes her head, "It's out now, mine as well finish." She mutters. "Like you could actually find someone yourself that could take care of all your shit and keep you in line. No, no. I knew Robin before you. We met at a gala a few months before you got together."

Regina looks pissed, I rub her back but I honestly feel completely useless right now. "You're telling me that when Robin ran into me and knocked the groceries from my hands, that it was just an act, just a bunch of bullshit to get into my pants and keep me away from women?"

Oh damn...

"Jesus Regina, that lowlife is already making you speak so crudely. No, it was an act to actually help make something of yourself!"

"Emma is not a lowlife. And you don't get to decide these things for me! I am in control of my own life, dammit why is that so hard for you to understand? I am my own person, mother. You can't control my entire life!"

"So what, I'm just supposed to watch your life fall apart because of your careless and disgusting decisions?" Cora yells, staring at me as she says that. I scowl at her. Cora grabs a pillow and clenches it tight.

"You're suppose to trust that I know what's best for myself because I'm your daughter! That if I ever did break, I could come to you. But I never felt that way because I knew I would only get hurt. All I ever wanted was for you to support me for _my_ decisions, no matter what that entailed."

Cora shakes her head once more, "Well that will never happen, Regina. Not as long as you're with her." She says 'her' with so much venom on her tongue.

"Fine, then so be it. I don't need you or your support because Emma gives me plenty. She makes me strong and allows me to be the person I truly am. Unless you change your mind, I will not come here again."

God, she's so brave and strong. I love her so much.

She pulls me out of the living room, I glance back at Cora one last time who actually looks more upset rather than full of anger. Stupid bitch.

Instead of going to the door, she drags me upstairs, "What are we doing?"

"Well, I doubt mother will change her mind so I want to grab my old stuff from my bedroom." When we enter, it looks exactly the same, everything was untouched. I highly doubted that Cora ever went in here. She probably kept it shut except for when her maid cleaned the house.

Regina stops and just stares, "It hasn't changed at all. I just want to grab my old photo albums and my special gifts you gave me." I smile at that. We always bought each other the cutest things.

She hands me two good-sized boxes from her closet and grabs one more smaller one. "I think that's it." We go back downstairs, luckily not running into Cora again on the way out. We put the boxes in my trunk.

I start the car but remain sitting in the driveway. I grab Regina's hand, "I'm extremely proud of you for standing up to her like that."

She smiles at me and rubs my hand with her thumb, "Thank you, I couldn't have done it without you. I feel like an enormous weight was lifted from my shoulders, like I'm truly and 100 percent free. And thanks for sticking up for me, I love you."

"I love you too, Gina. I will always stand by your side. And hey, um do you think we could go tell my parents soon? I fully believe it will go much better than this."

Her smile only grows, "Yes, let's tell them now." I lean in and kiss her deeply. We pull apart and she sighs contently. I turn up the radio and we sing to each other as I drive to my parent's house. Things may not have been great with Cora but I know my parents will give us their full support and I couldn't wait to share with them one of the best things that has ever happened in my life.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: A Happy Beginning?**

 **Good news! I've decided to make a "sequel" to this story :) I was originally going to make it a whole separated thing but instead of making it a separate sequel, I think I'll just continue it right onto this story. Yay!**

On the way over, I had Regina text Elsa from my phone asking her to meet us at my parents' house. I wanted to tell all of the people I loved at the same time. When I pull into the driveway, I hear Regina gasp.

"What is it?" I look over at her with concern and see her staring towards the horse pen.

"Your mother still has horses. I didn't notice when I talked to her. I...could we go riding sometime?"

I smile brightly at her, "Of course. You belong on a horse, Gina."

She brings her hand to my cheek and gently rubs it while looking at me with pure adoration. God, she's beautiful. I lean in and kiss her sweetly on the lips. If I wasn't in my parents' driveway...oh the things I'd do to her. I pull back and sigh noticing she has a look in her eyes as if she was thinking the exact same thing.

"Soon." I whisper before turning off my car and getting out. I rush over while Regina is gathering her purse to open her door.

She blushes slightly, "Well, aren't you quite the gentlewoman."

I chuckle, "What can I say, a queen deserves to be pampered."

She laughs and links her arm through mine. I was still in awe over this entire thing. I have not only the sexiest and most perfect woman on my arm, but also my best friend. I wouldn't want it any other way.

I knock on the door and shortly afterwards, my mom answers. "Hi, girls!"

I hug her tight, "Hey, mom."

"Hello, again." Regina says with a smile. Mom brings her into a hug which surprises Regina a bit. I forgot to tell her that I told mom we were friends again.

"Hello, Regina! I'm so happy you guys are reunited again. It's just...it seems right."

I blush, it does seem right. It seems like it was truly meant to be, I've never felt more right about anything in life. With Regina, I feel like I'm home.

"Trust me, we are quite happy, too." Regina says, smiling at me. I grin back at her, excited to inform my family of the news.

"Well come on in, Elsa is already here and your father is making cookies for everyone." Of course he is. He is too adorable.

We walk in and Elsa automatically smirks at us. "Hiiiii guys."

"You bitch! You know, don't you?" I ask her, shaking my head.

Elsa laughs, "How could I not? I see the look in your eyes and not to mention, you didn't come home last night."

My face heats up, "Nothing like that happened...I-we just finally admitted how we felt about each other. Now, keep it down so I can properly tell my parents." I hold my finger up to my lips telling her to shush. She rolls her eyes and points to my parents. So damn impatient.

I hug my dad from behind, he smelled like cookie dough. "Hi, dad!"

"Hey, sweetheart." He removes his oven mitt and hugs me back. Then he looks over to Regina and smiles. "And Regina, nice to see you again." They quickly hug each other and we sit down at the table.

"Bring those cookies over here and sit down guys, I want to tell you now."

Mom giggles, "Eager Emma at it again." I roll my eyes.

"Like you aren't just as eager to know."

"True, true. David, hurry up!" We laugh as dad jumps a little. He piles cookies onto a plate and brings them to the table.

"Okay, all good. Now, what did you want to tell us?" I feel everyone's eyes on me. Mom and dad just look very intrigued. Elsa is fighting back her smile and Regina bites her lip in a nervous manner.

I clear my throat, "Well as you know, Regina and I...are friends again. But - well you see, it's more than that. We're...we're together now." I smile and reach for her hand. She's hesitant but then grabs it tight.

Dad has the biggest smile on his face and my mother's mouth is wide open, "You're...you're dating now?" She asks.

"Yeah." I say shyly.

My mother smiles at me with the most genuine smile and I even think her eyes water a little. She gets up from her seat and hugs us, "Oh Emma, Regina, I'm so happy for you guys!"

My dad rushes over too and hugs us at well, "It's about damn time."

Elsa shrugs, "Mine as well join too."

She comes over and we all are doing one of those big group hugs you see on movies. It was so damn corny yet very comforting and I loved them all so much.

"Thank you guys for supporting this. As you probably would have expected, my mother didn't take this news so well." Regina explains.

My mom grabs Regina's hands, "Well there's no need to worry about that here. You can spend time for family gatherings and holidays with us, just like old times." She smiles warmly.

"Whoa, mom. That's a nice gesture but we've only been together for a day…"

"That may be true but despite that, Regina has always felt like family to us. Even if a relationship doesn't work out between you guys, I still feel as if you'll still be friends. And besides, I think you've cared for Regina in that way for quite some time now."

My face flushes, "Yeah, I have." I look down at my feet, embarrassed to be discussing this so openly with everyone.

"I have too. I've never cared more for anyone the way I care for your daughter. She's very important to me." I smile at Regina's words that make my heart melt.

This was beginning to look like the start of something truly magical. I couldn't wait to go on this journey with Regina.

XX

We get back to Granny's around 8pm. I told Elsa I would stay here again for tonight but tomorrow we are all going shopping together.

I'm sitting on the couch watching a movie while waiting for Regina to return. All she said was that she'd be right back so I have no idea what she's up to. Finally, I see her return with the boxes she brought back from her old bedroom. I pause the movie and smile, "Ooo, are we taking a trip down memory lane?"

She grins back, "I believe we are." She opens the first box but I put my hand on hers, stopping her.

"Are you okay? I only ask because I know things were rough with your mom. I feel bad that she still can't support you."

She sighs, "I want to say I'm okay and for the most part, I am. I have you and your family supporting us and I love that so much. But part of me always gets stuck on the fact that she is my own mother and still continues to treat me like this. I know it shouldn't but...it breaks my heart. How does my own mother do this to me?"

I squeeze her hand. I hated hearing her feel this way, "Don't let her do that to you, Gina. It's not worth it. You are so brave and so strong, you don't need her. She may have given birth to you but she is not your mother. She never has been. Don't let her break that beautiful heart of yours, okay?"

She smiles once more making me feel happy inside, "Okay. Thank you my love."

I lean in to kiss her but just as our lips brush, Regina's phone vibrates causing us to stop. She scoffs and reaches for her phone. I thought she would just ignore it but instead she pauses and frowns.

"What?"

"It's from Robin."

Now I'm the one frowning. "Oh. What did he say?"

"He said 'Regina, I made a mistake. Please come back to Boston with me, I can be the person you need me to be. Just give me a chance to show you.'" She shakes her head.

Suddenly I feel uneasy. What if she goes back to him? I knew I wouldn't be able to truly have her, damn it. I'm such a fool. I-

"Emma." She shakes my arm.

"Huh, what?" My voice cracks a little. Ugh.

"I said your name like three times. You look upset, is everything alright?"

I close my eyes and sigh, "I just...I don't want to lose you, Regina. I know you were with him for years and maybe him saying he will change is actually genuine and so you going back would make sense considering-"

"Hey, stop. Sure Robin and I spent years together but he still has never made me feel the way you already have. _You_ are the one I want, Emma. Just you. You were my first love that I never stopped loving. You make me feel so loved and cared for. You are selfless and kind. Don't ever feel insecure about whether or not I want to be with you because this is it. This is how I want my life to go, with you by my side. I'm so incredibly in love with you and I wouldn't want it any other way."

I've never felt so warm inside in my life, my eyes fucking water at her words. God, only she can make me cry from pure happiness.

"I love you too." I breathe out before crashing my lips to hers. Her hands tangle in my curls as mine cup her face. She opens her mouth a little and I take that opportunity to massage every corner of her mouth with my tongue. She moans deeply, I clench my legs together at the ache.

She pulls back, out of breath, "I know we said maybe taking things slow would be good but…"

"I can't either." I stand up, pulling her up with me and roughly push her against the wall. I trail kisses down her neck as she sighs with pleasure. My knee goes between her legs and she moans once more. Oh god, I will be so embarrassed if I have an orgasm just from the delicious sounds that escape those lips of hers.

We make it to the bedroom and she pushes me back against the bed. She removes her blue dress leaving her in just her silk red bra and matching panties. I lick my lips at the sight of her. She climbs on top my me and kisses my forehead. I arch my back up so she can remove my shirt with ease. When that's out of sight she pause and trails her hands on my stomach, sending chills down my entire body.

Then I moan as I feel her warm tongue trail up my abdomen. "Emma, you're so fucking sexy." I feel the wetness between my legs grow at her sultry tone. I'm in trouble with this one.

She removes my bra and her eyes widen at the sight, making me blush. "I'm so lucky." She breathes before kissing me passionately. I take this time to remove her bra as well. I wanted to feel her bare skin on mine. She smirks when it's removed and I bring her down close to me, loving the way our breasts felt as they pressed against each other.

She pulls back and kiss down all the way to my panties. She hooks her fingers through them and removes them slowly. When they are off, a hand is placed on each of my knees and my legs are spread apart so she can fit between them perfectly. Her fingers lightly run through my slick folds. My hips shoot upwards a little at the contact. "God, you're so wet." She murmurs.

"Gina…"

She smirks again and raises an eyebrow at me, "Tell me what you want, Em-ma."

Her finger circles my clit, "I..I want you." I inform her the best I can. My head goes back against the pillow as she applies more pressure.

"And tell me, what do you want me to do to you?" She purrs.

"I want-I want you inside of me." She kisses my inner thigh.

"Gladly." She says before sinking two fingers in. She pumps in and out, and it felt magical. I kept my eyes on her as long as possible, seeing her and knowing what she was doing to me was so damn hot.

"Fuck." I moan as she goes faster and rougher, I'm so close. She curls her fingers slightly and I release a body-trembling orgasm. She slows her fingers and finally stops completely as I'm trying to find my breath again.

When I can focus, I find her face only to see her seductively licking her fingers clean. I feel myself get wet all over again. Holy shit.

"Come here." I tell her. She slowly crawls on top of me and I kiss her softly, tasting myself on her lips. "That was incredible."

She smiles at me and that's when I flip us over, causing her to gasp lightly. I chuckle at her surprised reaction.

"I've wanted you for so long." I whisper.

I lean down and kiss her, sucking and gently biting on her bottom lip. My hands grab her breasts and I smile at the way her nipples automatically harden under them. My hands slowly run down her sides and down to her panties. These need to go.

I basically tear them off and I groan at her scent which was so strong. I couldn't wait to taste her. My hands rub her smooth thighs and I slowly lean in, making sure I remember every second of this.

"Emma, I need you now."

I smile and decide not to tease her...this time. Mainly because I was too eager myself. My tongue finds its way to her folds and swirls through them. Oh god, the taste! She moans my name loudly and I don't think I've ever heard anything more arousing.

I suck on her clit lightly at first until I feel her hands tug on my hair clearly telling me to stop being so easy. I hold back my laugh and give her exactly what she wants. It doesn't take long for her orgasm to power through and damn did she look beautiful when it did. I lay down beside her, feeling satisfied.

"You're wonderful. I love that talented tongue of yours."

I smile at her, "If mine is talented. I can't imagine what yours is. I mean you're the one who can tie cherry stems with it."

"True, well let me show you just how talented it is, hmm?"

I swallow hard, and nod letting out a small whimper. She goes down on me and boy did I ever find out what that tongue can do. We pleasured each other for half the night until finally being too sore for anything more and falling asleep peacefully in each others arms. It was a night I knew I'd never forget.

This life with Regina wasn't a happy ending. It was a happy beginning. Now all there is left to do is enjoy every moment of it.

XX

 **(Regina's POV)**

Emma and I have now been together for nearly 2 years. It's been absolutely wonderful. Sure we had our typical fights that couples do but for the most part, our time together has been nothing but pure bliss.

That first time after Robin had texted me, I told him that it wasn't going to happen because I was happy with Emma now. He became very...obsessive and wouldn't stop contacting me and calling me. It was strange. When I got the rest of my stuff from Boston, I had Emma stay in the car just in case.

That was wrong of me to do because he ended up cornering me and tried to kiss me but I turned my head last minute so his lips only touched my cheek. I always knew love made people do...crazy things but this was too much. The break-up was very hard on Robin and it changed him. Sure at first he seemed fine but I don't think that the sudden alone time was good for him. He drove himself crazy to the point where it was actually concerning.

I returned to the car clearly distressed and of course I had to tell Emma what happened. That ended with her punching Robin in the face a couple of times before I held her back before she did some serious damage. I was thankful of course for her doing that, she was and forever will be my savior and my protector. But I didn't want things to get too out of hand because knowing Emma's big heart, she would regret it later. This incident happened about four months into our relationship.

I know, I can't believe it took me so long to gather my stuff from Boston. It's just it felt as if I didn't need it, I had everything I needed right here in Storybrooke. But Emma insisted. And I was actually happy she did. I think my stuff being there with Robin was making him even more crazy. I just assumed that after four months, he would have gotten rid of it. But he didn't and I think that goes along with this obsessive side I've witnessed recently.

After that, I haven't had anymore contact with Robin, but that makes sense considering I blocked him as soon as we left Boston.

A year into our relationship, we heard about a 16-year old boy who lost his parents in a fire. His name was Henry and he needed a foster family. Apparently he's been in foster care for almost a year now but we just now heard of his tragic story. As soon as Emma and I heard about it, we both felt like we needed to take him in. And so we did. I know it seemed very soon to adopt a son but Emma and I knew what we had was real. We knew we were both in this for the long run. We always knew how to solves our problems and we also knew that if things didn't end up working for some god-awful reason, that we would be mature adults about it and still try to be friends.

We welcomed Henry into our lives with open arms to which he fully accepted. He was the sweetest kid I've ever met and I was happy to have him join my adventure with Emma.

About 5 months after we adopted Henry, Emma proposed to me. We were having a picnic on this tall, cliff-like hill that overlooked the shore when she popped the question. It was one of the best moments of my life.

So here we are now, on that very hill, 2 months later after that day. We are still engaged, and probably will be for a several more months. We are taking the whole wedding-planning thing slow as we want it to be perfect.

"Kid, what's been your mind?" Emma asks Henry before biting into her sub. The day was beautiful. The sun was warm and the wind caused light waves to crash onto the shore. I loved it on this hill. Today we rode the horses up here, too which is always so much fun. Henry was becoming a pretty good rider, of course he had some damn good teachers.

Henry blushes at the question, "I don't want to get into it."

I set my drink down and rub his back, "Henry, you know you can tell us anything. Who knows, we may be able to help you." I smile at him before smiling at Emma.

She grins at me and tucks her hair behind her ear.

He sighs, "Okay. You know my friend Violet?" Oh Henry. Violet was his best friend, how could we not know of her?

"Yes." I say.

"Mhmm. What about her?" Emma asks.

He blushes even more and I think I know where this is going, "I...like her okay? But I can't tell her this because it could ruin our friendship. I would rather be friends with her than nothing at all you know?"

Emma and I share a look, probably thinking the exact same thing.

"Henry, you should tell her how you feel." I say before licking icing off of a cupcake.

"What? I can't do that." He shakes his head with wide eyes.

Emma says, "Your mom's right kid, you need to tell her this. Because there's always that chance of her liking you back."

"And what would you guys know about this kind of stuff anyways?"

Emma smirks at me, "Actually we would know a lot. I think it's time we tell you a story." My heart beats faster in my chest.

"What kind of story?" Henry asks, his voice full of curiosity.

I grab Emma's soft hand, "Our story. And how exposing our true feelings would have saved us a lot of time." Emma chuckles and shakes her head. Suddenly, a gust of wind blows on us. Emma gets up like an excited child in a candy store.

I give her a strange look.

She looks at us with wide, happy eyes, "You guys have to try this. I've been waiting for a windy day up here to show you! Stand like this and close your eyes." We both watch as my dork of a fiancé stands with her legs separated a good distance on the ground to keep her steady.

Her arms are spread out horizontally and her head tilts back a tiny bit as her eyes are shut softly. She looks so beautiful and content as her blonde hair blows around her peaceful face.

She may have looked stunning in this very moment but she also looked absolutely ridiculous. "There's no way I'm doing that." I chuckle.

"Come on, it feels so amazing. I feel like I can do anything when I do this." She answers quietly before returning to the position. Henry shrugs and stand ups with her, mocking her position. Oh god, now it looks even more ridiculous. I hold a hand to my mouth to stifle a laugh.

"Wow, you're right. This feels pretty cool." Henry states.

Emma smiles, "See. Regina come on, do it! This wind might not last long."

I shake my head, "Uh-uh. I'm having a good time watching you guys." I finally release my laugh I've been holding back. Emma finally stops and sticks her tongue out at me.

"Ginaaa" She whines, "You're no fun!"

I gasp, "Excuse me, I'm very fun. But, I believe we have a story to tell our son."

She rolls her eyes and we all sit back down, "Fine, yeah whatever."

Just as I was explaining the part in which I had to tell Emma I was sorry, we hear the horses freaking out a little. It was probably either the wind or there were some people walking up the path. Not many people come up here but we've had a couple days where there have been other people here.

Emma says, "I'll go check on them. Be right back." She runs down the hill, out of sight. I turn my attention back to Henry.

"Anyways, I knew it probably wouldn't do any good but I had to go find Emma after seeing her at the reunion. It felt like we had so much unfinished business and I needed her to know that I still cared about her even if it-" Henry and I both jump at the loud bang. I feel the color drain from my face.

Henry frowns, eyes looking alert, "What was that?"

My breathing starts getting fast, I had a bad feeling, "It-it sounded like a gun. Henry, get behind that tree and don't move until I return, alright?"

He nods and runs behind the tree. My hands tremble as I run down the hill towards the sound of the shot, towards Emma. Hunting was prohibited here so I have no idea why we would hear such a thing.

The horses are still freaking out but they don't seem hurt, "Emma?" I call out but I receive no answer. I frantically look around until I see a trace of blonde on the ground behind the horses. I run over and there she is, lying there unconconscious in a pool of her own blood.

"Emma!" I scream as tears fall down my face. I hold her in my arms. Then my shaky hand grabs my phone and calls an ambulance. "Don't you dare leave me, Emma. Oh god...who did this to you?" I sob uncontrollably until the ambulance arrives.

They ask me what happened or if I saw anything but I can't speak. I just stare into nothing, feeling incredibly numb.

I think I'm dragged into the ambulance, I really don't know. All I can focus on is her blonde curls and my jagged breathing. I can't lose her. I just can't. She is my everything, my other half. If I lose her, then my entire world is lost.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: The Unfortunate Reality**

 **PLEASE READ: Wow. Damn guys...I wish you would have a little faith in me before you were so quick to judge! I respect all of your opinions but hear me out:**

 **The point of the sequel is the intense journey that will happen after the shooting, it was never to describe their quiet moments together. Reason for that is because well for one, when I did this in previous stories, it was super cute but people got bored easily. I had some say it was too slow. I mean do you really need me to go into detail about their basic, everyday lives? I felt that wasn't necessary…**

 **So I did a small time jump (1 year and 7 months). A lot happened, sure. I mean they've been in love literally like half of their lives, they are ready to get shit done. They missed out on so much time. Each event that I described in that time jump were spread out within months of each other so I figured instead of dragging that out, I would summarize it.**

 **My writing style after that is still going to be the same...it just made it easier for me to do it that way and I know that more people would get tired of reading them doing everyday activities for that amount of time.**

 **JUST PLEASE BE PATIENT AND TRUST ME. Writing things that don't revolve around a dramatic event is actually quite difficult for me. I have the ability to do so but it would take a huge amount of time, time that I barely have (I work midnights.) So bear with me, and please don't assume things or judge like crazy until you know for sure where the story is headed.**

 **Thanks guys :) And I'm not upset or anything, I just don't want people to abandon this story when there's so much more that I think you'll like!**

I run alongside the bed that Emma is frantically being rolled in until they inform me that I cannot proceed any further. "That's bullshit! I can't leave her!" I yell as tears stream down my face.

They continue on without me since I was being held back by a nurse. I watch my baby go, and that killed me inside. The nurse eases off of me and looks at me with pity which makes me even angrier, "I'm sorry, Miss. But we can't let you in there while she's getting surgery." She squeezes my arm, "We promise to do everything we can to help her. The best thing you can do is try and remain calm until we know for sure how bad her condition is. I will continue to give you updates as soon as I'm notified of them."

I sniff and give her a defeated nod while sinking into the nearest chair. My head falls into my hands. How did this happen? One moment we were enjoying a picnic on the hill and the next moment, my fiancé is lying unconscious from a fucking bullet wound. Things like this don't happen in Storybrooke.

It is then I realize what I mess I am, I open my eyes and stare at my hands which were still covered in her blood. I shiver and run to the bathroom, scrubbing my skin roughly. I wash all the blood from my skin but my clothes were still a mess, like I care though. I return to the waiting room, surprised to see Henry sitting there. I don't remember him being in the ambulance with me.

"Henry, how did you get here?" I ask, my voice hoarse. I slump into the chair next to him.

"I was in the other ambulance. Is she going to be okay?" His voice trembles and his eyes water. My arm brings his head to my shoulder.

"I don't know, Henry. I really don't know."

He starts crying lightly, "It's-it's my fault."

I frown and pull back, "What? What are you talking about? You had nothing to do with this."

He shakes his head, "My parents died in a fire and now...now she's been shot. It's like I'm bad luck, like everyone around me disappears. Maybe you should take me back to foster care, I don't want anything to happen to you too." He wipes his tears away even though they just come back right after the next.

I rub his cheek, fighting back my own tears was much easier when I saw how broken Henry was. I had to be strong for him, especially when he says stuff like this. "Nothing is going to happen to me, Henry. And Emma didn't get hurt because of you alright? You've brought so much good into our family and nothing is going to change that."

He doesn't answer, he just stares down at his hands.

"Do you understand me?"

He looks into my eyes and nods, "Yeah…" I don't think he believes me which breaks my heart. He must feel so guilty. Unfortunately the only thing that will change that is if Emma makes it out alive. But I can't even tell him she's going to be okay because that wound looked _bad_ from what I remembered. It was on her lower back, near her spinal cord I think. And that's probably one of the worst places to get injured aside from the heart and brain. I squeeze my eyes shut to keep myself from drowning.

I grab his hand and hold tight, "Henry, I can't tell you what will happen but what I do know is that Emma is the strongest person I know. She's overcome so much in life. S-She's a fighter and she will fight this the best that she can. We just can't lose hope."

"Yeah. You're right." He rests his head against the wall and plugs in his headphones, not saying anything more. I know talking right now won't help him much...I mean what else could I possibly say? We don't even know her damn condition yet.

Just then the doors open and I see Emma's parents rush in towards me, "Regina. How is she? What happened?" MM asks me with worried eyes.

"I-I don't know anything yet! All I know is that she was shot and I don't even know if she's alive right now!" Fresh tears soak my face. David's hands go to his forehead and MM holds me while dampening my shoulder with her wet eyes.

We all sit down while gripping each other's hands as we wait for what seems like ages for someone to tell us what the hell is going on.

The nurse that held me back earlier eventually approaches us, "I've received a bit of information on Miss Swan. She was shot in her lower back and the bullet was still in her body when she arrived here. The bullet grazed her spine quite a bit causing severe damage. They have successfully removed the bullet and they are now working on fixing her spinal cord. This surgery is very long because it takes a lot of precision." She pauses, letting this information sink in.

Just as I thought, Emma was shot in her spine. Oh god, what does that mean for her? "Anything else?" David asks in a weak tone.

The nurse nods, "She lost a massive amount of blood so…" She rubs her hands nervously together. "So there's a fairly large chance of her going comatose. Another thing is that because the lumbar region was shattered, it's often likely for her to go into paralysis from the waist down. I don't want you to assume both will automatically happen. But I just wanted to warn you in case they do. I'm so sorry, I know this is hard. But the surgery is going quite well and it's great that the bullet is now removed."

I shake my head, my poor Emma. "When will we know if she's...paralyzed or comatose?" Saying that aloud and associating those terms with Emma didn't feel right.

"After the surgery is over, we will know for sure. Any other questions I can answer or is there anything I can bring you?"

No one says anything. We all just contemplate this new information. MM roughly wipes her eyes and speaks up, "No, no. Thank you."

The nurse nods her head and leaves in silence. I feel nauseous. I can't even comprehend Emma never being able to walk again or...or hell wake up again. It's not fair, she deserves better than this.

But these negative thoughts will do absolutely nothing and like the nurse said, we can't assume anything as hard as it may be. I look over because of Henry's silence and see he's fallen asleep. Good, maybe he'll escape this miserable time and dream something better.

Hours pass, and the silence is agonizing. I wanted to talk about it but I didn't know what to say. Plus, in my opinion, it seemed everyone was barely keeping it together as it is, if we talked, I felt we would all officially lose it. So everyone was silent, sipping on some drinks or eating light snacks. I definitely couldn't eat but my pink lemonade felt good on my raw throat.

It's about 5:45 when a man I don't know approaches me. "Regina Mills?"

My brow furrows, "Yes?"

He holds out his hand, "Call me Weaver. I'm the detective on Miss Swan's case. I was wondering if you could come with me to answer a few questions."

I open my mouth, hesitant. "I..I don't want to leave in case her surgery finishes."

"I understand but this will only take a few minutes, if you would." He insists. I sigh on the inside but oblige.

I follow him into a small office and sit down, fidgeting with my nails.

"Alright, I will keep this as short as possible. What were you and Miss Swan doing on the Salt Valley Trail?" His eyes pierced my soul.

"We were having a picnic together."

He writes something down, "And were you two alone?"

I shake my head, "No, our son, Henry, was with us." He scribbles something down again.

"Tell me, did you notice anyone else on the trail as you were going to your destination?"

I shake my head again, "No, not that I can recall. Not many people use the trail, we are almost always alone. We've only had a few occasions where we've seen other people there."

"I see. Did you witness the shooting?"

"No, I didn't see it happen, I only heard it. Emma went to check on the horses which were tied at the bottom of the hill. They started freaking out. Well shortly afterwards, Henry and I heard the gunshot."

After he finished writing, he asks, "What happened after that?"

"I told Henry to hide and I ran down to see if Emma was alright. That's when I found her on the ground….and called an ambulance."

"You didn't see anyone when you ran down there?"

My lip quivers, "No, I didn't see anyone at all."

"Okay. Last question, do you or Miss Swan have any enemies? Anyone that would want to hurt either of you?"

I freeze, "I…" I mean yes and no. We all have enemies but were they bad enough to do something like this?

He grabs my hand, "You can tell me, Regina. We won't go right in and accuse them, we will simply ask them questions like I am doing with you right now."

"Are you saying I'm a suspect?"

"As far as I know, almost everyone's a suspect unless you give me names. Initially, you were a suspect and a witness of sorts. And if we can't find someone with a motive, the shooting could lead to you. I believe you, but others may not."

My stomach drops, would people actually think I shot my own fiancé? I mean sure that's not unheard of at all. But in a small town like this, it very well is.

I nod and sigh, "There's only two people I could possibly think of...my mother and my ex."

His eyebrows shoot up in surprise, "Why would you say that?"

I sigh, "My mother hated the thought of me even liking Emma from day one. She's very traditional and wanted a man to support me. And Robin, well I sort of left him for Emma...it's a long story. He seemed okay at first but overtime, he got kind of weird and wanted to try and fix things. He even tried making a move on me to which Emma punched him over."

"Tell me honestly, are either of those people you named possibly capable of something so extreme?" He observes me closely. Even though I have absolutely nothing to feel guilty for, he still makes me nervous! Whoever did it doesn't stand a chance if they are face to face with Weaver.

"I would like to think they weren't. My mother...was capable of all sorts of evil but shooting someone? That doesn't seem right."

"You want to think that because she's your mother but even those closest to us can surprise us. What kind of evil is she capable of exactly?"

So many questions...I just want to see Emma. "We aren't close. She...she abused me as a child. Well mostly as a child, she recently hurt me because of Emma." I breathe out, I hated telling people my story when I barely knew them. But I knew this was serious and if I could help by telling my story, I would. For Emma.

"Don't you think that if someone is willing to abuse their own daughter, that hurting someone they don't like or know that well wouldn't be too difficult?"

Hmm, I never thought of it that way…

"I mean, I guess. I don't really know what to think."

"And how about your ex, could he be capable of doing this?"

Could Robin actually shoot someone? I think back to how well he took the break-up. Looking at it from that point and how sweet he was when we were together, I would instantly say no.

But the amount of anger he showed and the obsessive part of him that I have recently witnessed...maybe? But saying someone is capable of actually shooting another human isn't something to throw around lightly.

"I don't know. The person he was the majority of our time together, definitely not. But this darker side that does what he wants without thinking...I mean possibly? But I haven't spoken to Robin in months. I assumed he finally let it go you know? So accusing him still seems weird."

"It may seem weird but we still have to try. And I assume you're okay with that if it ends up helping Emma."

I nod and stare at him with serious eyes, "Oh yes, most definitely. Do whatever you need, just please find this bastard and lock them up."

He nods and stands up, "You don't know me but I can assure you that I don't stop until I find my target. I will find them, Regina."

For once I actually have a bit of hope in my heart. Weaver seemed very sure of himself, I felt like I could very much put my trust into him.

We shake hands and he thanks me for my time. After I'm out of sight, I run like a child back to the waiting room only to find out she's still in surgery. Time for more waiting, ugh. I hate not knowing.

We sit and wait. I honestly thought it would never end. Finally the nurse comes up to us with grave eyes. Oh god. I check the time, it's nearing 8pm.

The nurse clears her throat, "The surgery is over now, and it was successful. Her spine is fixed. But...um, Miss Swan is comatose." She says quietly.

No. No, not Emma. Oh god, please no. This can't be happening.

She continues, "But because it's from blood loss, they usually don't last for long periods of time as one would for say...a bad brain injury. As for paralysis, we will know when she wakes up since her whole body is unresponsive from the coma. That's all I have for you, you can see her quickly if you'd like but since she is in critical care, we can't allow anyone to stay the night."

I nudge Henry and we all follow the nurse to Emma. As soon as I walk in, I start crying. I don't know what everyone else does, all I can focus on is my Emma with a breathing tube down her throat. I grab her hand with one of mine while the other rubs her forehead.

My tears fall onto her blanket, "Emma, I-I'm so sorry this happened to you. I wish I could have been there to protect you but I was too late and-and I'm so sorry. If I could switch places with you right now, I would in a heartbeat. You don't deserve any of this." I sniff and shake my head.

"But you fight, Emma. You hear me? You fight this and come home to me. You can't leave me, not yet. This isn't your time. Keep fighting, no matter what. I love you so m-much." And I break, I'm glad I got those words out beforehand.

I cry to myself in a chair as her parents say words to her that I can't focus on. Henry is surprisingly holding it together, maybe it was because I wasn't. He just stares at her, I wonder what he's thinking.

A different nurse comes in minutes later informing us that visiting hours are over. I wanted to say 'fuck that' and stay but I knew I couldn't and I didn't want to be banished from seeing her completely so I slowly follow her parents out of the room.

I take one last look at her, thinking that maybe she will open her eyes and say 'just kidding!' or that maybe I'll wake up from a nightmare. But no, this isn't some cruel joke or a nightmare at all, this is reality. The only thing I can do is wait and pray that this isn't the end of our story.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Don't Give Up**

 **Sorry for the late update, I've had like no time this week and I barely got any sleep. But I refuse to let that keep me away for weeks and weeks because I HATE when I'm invested in a story and suddenly the author stops for months! I plan on not doing that to you guys :)**

That night, I was having the hardest time getting to sleep. I know Emma is in good hands but I absolutely hated not being with her. The bed felt far too big. I missed my beautiful Emma so much. It's like half of me is gone with her not here and it was one of the most empty feelings.

What if she doesn't wake up? I know it's rare for a person not to wake up from a coma caused by blood loss but...it's not impossible. What if Emma happens to be one of those people that just never opens their eyes again? I don't think I could live on this Earth without her. And god, I'm terrible for even thinking such a thing when I have Henry. But it's only the first night alone and I feel like I might drown in the emptiness and sadness I'm feeling right now.

I know I should stay positive but it's too damn hard. It's easy for someone to tell me to think like an optimist because they've never felt this pain. Well I feel it, and it's too hard. My mind keeps thinking about the bad things that could happen.

I really, really don't want anything bad to happen. Emma is so radiant, she doesn't deserve what's happening at all. If anyone deserves it, it's me. Fuck. Why did she have to go check on the horses this time? Why couldn't it have been me? Why? I should have been in her position because I'm not good. But she is, so where does good get you? Nowhere but downhill apparently.

"Fuck!" I yell as I punch one of my pillows. I wipe my frustrated tears away and fling my blanket off of me. I can't be alone right now.

I tread down the stairs to Henry's room. I open the door slowly and see he's awake, scrolling through his phone.

He looks up at me, "Couldn't sleep either?"

I shake my head, "Not even close. Could I-"

"Yes." He immediately says before moving over and pulling the blanket down for me. I sigh with relief and crawl into bed beside him, automatically feeling a small bit of comfort from his presence.

I pull the blanket over me, "I love you. We will get through this, Henry."

"I love you too." I rest my hand on his shoulder and try to sleep.

XX

I wake up and see the bed is empty, I roll over and grab Henry's phone on his nightstand. Squinting at the sudden brightness, I see it's almost 7:00.

I get out of bed and head to the kitchen where I see Henry making a fried egg. "Honey, you don't have to go to school if you don't feel like it."

He shrugs and looks over his shoulder at me, looking apathetic, "I'm kind of hoping it will take my mind off of things. One or two?" He asks.

"Uh...none. I'm not hungry right now but thank you."

He frowns, "Mom…" I understood he was worried, we almost always ate breakfast together, with Emma there too of course. There were only a few times in which I didn't feel up for breakfast and that's usually when I'm sick.

"Don't worry, I'll pack a big lunch for work, okay?" The truth was, food sounded appalling, I couldn't possibly eat something and actually keep it down but I didn't want Henry to worry. He already has one mom to worry about.

"Okay." He turns the stove off and plops his egg onto a plate.

I head back to my room to get ready for work. I'm currently a bank teller, not my preferred job but I enjoy it for the most part. I didn't apply for any jobs in Storybrooke until Emma and I moved in together. To be quite honest, I could have gone all this time without a job since I had so much saved from when I worked as a lawyer in Boston. But I figured I should get a job because that won't last forever, especially with my new expenses like the rent we pay for our apartment.

This apartment was in the same building as Emma's previous apartment that she shared with Elsa, only a bigger amount of space since there's three of us. Oh shit, Elsa. She's out of town for work until Wednesday and I forgot to tell her what happened.

I frantically search for my phone but see it nowhere. Damn it, where is it? Then I remember I left it in my purse.

I retrieve it and sure enough, Elsa has texted me and called me. I scroll through her texts.

" **Tell Emma to answer her phone, damn dork."**

" **?"**

" **Hey, is everything okay?"**

" **Seriously, I'm starting to get worried. Please answer."**

" **Guys, what's going on? I don't have MM or David's number in this phone so I need to know from you or Emma that you guys are okay. ANSWER ME."**

I almost tear up, I don't even know how to tell Elsa who is so oblivious to the entire tragic situation. I told her to call me as soon as she can. There's no way I'm going into work today, not while Emma's still in the hospital.

I hear footsteps heading towards my room, " The bus will be here soon, bye mom." He hugs me tight, probably the tightest he's ever hugged before.

I return it the same way, "Bye Henry, I love you. And if you change your mind or need anything, you call me okay? I will come pick you up the second you call."

He nods, "I will. And love you too." I watch him go. He's so...hard to read. He's giving me nothing so I barely know how to help him. Maybe I should try talking to him about it, opening up isn't his strong suit but maybe he needs to this time. This was a lot for him to go through, especially after what happened to his biological parents.

Yes, I will definitely try getting him to talk to me. I feel so damn helpless. I sigh and get dressed, eager to be holding Emma's hand again and seeing if they know anything more about her coma.

XX

She looks the same as she did last night and even though she isn't awake, it still felt good to feel her hand in mine. It felt like maybe it would help her wake up, if maybe she sensed I was here.

The nurses told me not to discuss her injury in front of her because comatose patients can often hear other people around them as crazy as that sounds. I don't know exactly what that means but I wouldn't want to scare Emma or anything.

So I speak softly to her, "Hey baby, you look so beautiful. Although I never doubted that you would." I lean down and kiss her forehead which was slightly warm.

"I love you with all of my heart and I know you are strong enough to fight this, Emma. You were never someone to give up and you won't give up now. I won't either, as much as I want to give in to all of my doubts, I just can't. I look at you here and I just can't because you make me stronger."

I wipe my eyes with my free hand, "Henry woke up before me today and I walked in on him cooking his own eggs. I know we've seen this before but it still makes me feel warm inside. It reminds me of how clueless he was at cooking when we first took him in and how we spent so many days, just the three of us cooking together. Now he's a damn pro." I smile at the thought.

Henry almost seemed scared to cook, it probably had a lot to do with the fire. But Emma and I made him feel safe and comfortable and he would get this spark in his eye when he made something successfully. I will never forget those days which were actually only several months ago.

Several months ago...we were so happy and we were just a "regular" family. And now, now this is what we're going through? I would have never expected this. It's insane how quickly your life can change.

My phone vibrates and when I pull it out, I answer it right away since it showed it was Elsa.

" **Hey, Elsa. I'm sorry I missed your calls**."

" **Yeah, what the hell is going on? Are you guys okay, like where's Emma been?** "

My lip trembles, " **Um. Emma's...she-she's been in an accident.** "

" **What kind of accident?** " I start lightly crying into the phone, unable to respond. " **Oh god, Regina what happened? Is Emma okay?** "

I shut myself in the bathroom in the room so Emma can't hear me.

I sniff and shake my head even though she can't see me, " **N-no. Well yes but no. She was shot, Elsa. And I can't do anything to help her. She had surgery and everything which went well but she's in a coma. And oh god, it's so hard. And she may possibly be paralyzed from the waist down but we won't even know that yet until she wakes up.** _ **If**_ **she wakes up.** "

" **What?! Are you serious right now? How did this happen? When did this happen?** " The amount of shock in Elsa's voice was overwhelming.

I rub a hand through my hair, " **Yesterday...we-we were having one of our picnics on the hill. Elsa, I don't know how to deal with this!** " I admit, because honestly it was eating at me. I felt so fucking helpless, I can't help Henry and I can't help Emma. So what the fuck am I supposed to do?

I hear Elsa's voice quiver, " **Oh god, poor Emma! Just calm down, I'm coming home. Today.** "

I frown, " **Elsa, you don't have to do that, this trip is huge for you. They just checked on her and the state of her coma hasn't changed.** "

She scoffs, " **I don't care how big this trip is, I'm coming home.** "

" **Okay, good. I will see you soon.** "

" **Regina, I know it's difficult but we can't lose hope.** "

" **Y-yeah. You're right…** " But wait until she actually sees her, then that hope goes flying out the window. I'm mean in ways seeing Emma makes me want to stay strong but in others, I just break.

" **I have to go tell Loraine everything and then I can leave. I will probably be home late tonight or early tomorrow morning. Bye, Regina.** "

" **Bye.** "

I sigh and rest my head on Emma's lap. Eventually I fall asleep until a nurse comes in to check on her vital signs. Of course everything is still the same. Damn, I just wish she would wake up.

I check the time and see that in just about an hour and a half, Henry would be home from school. Wow, I slept quite a while. I stand up and stretch my entire body which is incredibly stiff from laying on Emma's lap for so long.

I look down at her and wipe some loose hairs that fell into her face a little. I lean down and kiss her forehead. "I love you, Emma. I love you so much and I will never give up on you. I have to go home in time for Henry so we can have a little chat and so I can make him dinner. But I will be back soon, my love." I rub her cheek for several more seconds before I force myself to walk away. That's probably one of the hardest things to do.

When I get home, I clean up the apartment a little bit. Last night I sort of flung my stuff randomly without a care in the world and now I'm witnessing the aftermath. I sigh and grab my cleaning supplies.

Henry arrives shortly after I'm done cleaning, he finds me "watching" TV in the living room. I had no idea what was going on though because I could only focus on Emma.

"Hey mom." He says before sitting next to me.

I mute the TV, "Hey, honey. How was school?"

He shrugs, "Same old, same old. It did help take my mind off things so that was kind of nice."

"Henry, I'm worried about you...you haven't really shown much emotion from this. Do you want to talk about it?" I place my hand on his and observe him. All he does is stare down into his lap.

"I'm fine, I mean I'm not _fine_ but I am dealing with it the best I can I think. I feel like if I talk about it too much, I might start crying."

"It's okay to cry, Henry."

"Yeah but what if I never stop?" Oh god, now I might cry myself. He continues before I say anything more, "I know I haven't been with you two that long but you guys make me feel so loved and I feel so connected to both of you. I love you guys so much and I can't imagine one of you guys…I-I'm scared." Tears finally spill over.

I hold him tight, "I know. I am too so much. It's normal to be afraid and to be sad. It's normal to have doubts and negative thoughts but we can't let that break us. We just can't, for Emma's sake. We have to keep a little bit of hope with us or else we'll never get through it."

He's silent aside from his crying and it was so heartbreaking. I hold him for a long time. I honestly thought he fell asleep but he moves off of my lap suddenly.

I watch him leave and wipe under my eyes to remove what I assume is smeared mascara. I go to the kitchen to start dinner which sounded disgusting right now.

I check my phone while the spaghetti cooks and notice a message from Weaver. He wants me to meet with him tomorrow to discuss some important information. I wanted to ask what kind of information he meant but if he wanted to tell me now, he would have. I sigh, guess I'll just have to wait.

I turn back to the stove and stir the noodles and sauce. I take the garlic bread out of the oven and turn the stove off. Just as I'm draining the noodles, I call Henry down to eat.

Luckily, he fills his plate full. Thank god his appetite hasn't changed. Meanwhile, I'm sitting at the table poking at my pasta, not feeling hungry at all.

"You're not eating again…" Henry states, a hint of worry in his eyes.

"I...I'm sure it's temporary. Emma's state has affected me in more ways than you can imagine."

He wipes his mouth with a napkin. "Mom, please. You promised me that nothing would happen to you, too. I don't like seeing you not eat. Did you even have that big lunch today?"

I shake my head, "No. The thought of eating is sickening."

"Could you at least try?"

The look on his face was so hard to say no to. I simply nod and bring the smallest amount to my mouth. I look at it for a few seconds and force it into my mouth. I chew slowly and swallow. It was hard but actually not terrible. I continue to do this and as I keep eating, it gets easier and easier until I realize how much I actually needed food in my stomach.

Henry brings both of our near-empty plates to the sink and rinses them, "I knew you could do it!"

I chuckle at his enthusiasm. "I shouldn't have doubted you."

"I'll let it slide, this time." He says before going to his room. I roll my eyes and go outside to sit on the patio.

This evening was sort of breezy and it felt so nice. It was always calming watching nature sway in the wind. Wind. That gave me an idea. I text Henry telling him I'll be home soon and practically run to the car.

I know it's probably so stupid considering what just happened, but I don't care. I have to do this. I drive until I get to Salt Valley Trail. I walk fast to the hill and tread to the top. Slightly out of breath, I stop and look at the view for a few moments. It was so gorgeous up here.

After I gain my breath back, I stand up with my legs spread apart. I whip my arms out horizontally, tilt my head back, and close my eyes. It wasn't as windy as when Emma showed me this, but the breeze was still enough.

And wow, was Emma right. "This _does_ feel amazing." I say as my eyes begin to water underneath my closed eyelids. In that moment, I didn't care how silly I looked or how tired my arms got. I didn't care about the tears coming out of my eyes and probably smearing my mascara yet again. I just enjoyed every second of it because in a way, it made me feel like Emma was right beside me.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Light at the End of the Tunnel**

 **Tuesday 8:40 am**

Elsa arrived early this morning and is on her way to the hospital now to visit Emma. I wish I could have tagged along but Weaver wanted to see me bright and early. I'm waiting for him in his office now.

I wonder if he already caught who it was. Or maybe he's not even close...whatever it is, it's making me a little nervous. I just wish this whole thing was over. Actually, I wish it never even happened.

What could possibly drive someone to actually shoot a human being and think it's okay? As far as I am concerned, nothing does. It's an entire life we are talking about, and not to mention those people around that life too. How are people so inconsiderate and disgusting?

My thoughts are interrupted as Weaver comes in, shutting the door behind him. His wears a serious expression.

"Morning, Regina. How are you doing?" He asks as he sits down across from me.

"Honestly? I feel like I'm in hell. So what do you got for me?"

"Straight to the point, I like it. First let me ask, you haven't spoken to your mother or your ex like we discussed, correct?"

I nod, "Correct. I did as you told me to...not that I would have spoken to them anyway."

"Good. Well yesterday I brought your mother in for questioning and I would like you to see the tape. She seemed quite surprised that Emma was shot and I would just like to see what you think. We didn't report this on the news yet for this very reason, it helps when trying to find out who did it."

I nod once more, that makes sense I suppose. "Right, so are you saying my mother isn't a suspect anymore?"

"Not yet, but she isn't our biggest concern, unless of course you think otherwise after viewing the tape. Shall we?" He gestures to his laptop.

"By all means." He presses play and I immediately notice mother's cold, blank stare.

"What's the meaning of this?" She asks. I watch her closely.

"I brought you here to ask you a few questions about Emma Swan." At the sound of Emma's name, I see mother tense up ever so slightly.

"What about her?" She says nonchalantly. That's the thing about mother, she's always put on an act so if she did do it, it's easy for her to act as though she didn't. It's so hard to say.

"Miss Swan was shot yesterday afternoon near Salt Valley Trail." Mother's eyes widen. She honestly looked so shocked, and then somewhat panicked.

"What? Is she...did she…" Mother trails off.

Weaver shakes his head, "No, luckily they removed the bullet and controlled the blood loss. But, she is comatose and there's quite a large chance of her never walking again. That is if she wakes up."

Mother's hand goes to her mouth, "Oh my god." While someone would have fully believed mother was innocent, I couldn't bring myself to do that. There was something in her eyes...I couldn't explain it. And that made we incredibly angry. I clench my fists in my lap.

"According to your daughter, you and Miss Swan don't get along so well."

She scoffs, "We don't but that doesn't mean I would do something like this."

"No need to get defensive now, dearie. I'm only asking a simple question, I'm not implying anything...yet." Mother huffs and crosses her arms.

"Where were you on Sunday between noon and 1pm?"

"I was at home."

"Are there any witnesses that can justify that statement?"

She shakes her head, "No, my maid is off on Sundays."

"Hmm interesting. So you have no witnesses and you hate the woman who your daughter is dating. The woman who was shot."

"Oh for heaven's sake. I did not shoot Miss Swan! I don't even own a damn gun!"

"You don't have to own one, it could have been someone else's gun. Tell me, is it true that you used to physically abuse your daughter?"

Mother's face goes pale, "I...did what I had to do in order to keep her in line. Call it physical abuse it you want to but I was only trying to shape her into something decent."

Weaver shakes his head, "I will ignore that ignorant comment for now. And is it true that you may feel that Miss Swan stole your daughter from you?"

"Oh I feel it's true because that's what happened, she stole Regina away and changed her." She says with poison.

"This anger that I'm witnessing right now and the fact that you abused your daughter before, this seems like you could easily be capable of this crime. That the fact that you hate Emma so much for 'stealing' Regina away is indeed a motive."

"Well you can shove that motive up your ass!" My eyes widen at her language. "Yes, I hate Emma Swan and probably always will. She ruined something that could have been so good and that will haunt me forever but if you actually think I could possibly shoot her with a gun with the chance of killing her, you are crazy! I could never do something like that, I am _not_ a crazed psychopath!" I press pause on the computer and stare at her desperate expression.

"Regina, what is it?" Weaver asks.

I blink rapidly, "She-she didn't do it. I can tell, she is evil but not that evil. She's telling the truth."

"You're sure?"

"Yes." I breathe out.

He nods, "Just as I suspected, okay. Well then that is all I need from you for now. We will take her off of our list for the time being. Later this week, I will be heading to Boston to talk to Robin. Thank you for your time and I will let you know of any updates when they come my way." We stand up and shake hands.

"Goodbye, and thank you." I give him a small smile and exit his office. So mother is out, does that mean Robin did this?

I shake my head, I didn't want to think about that right now. I'm just going to focus on Emma and Henry. Speaking of, I decide to drive to the hospital to meet Elsa there.

Just as I was entering her room, I see Elsa pick up her purse to leave. As soon as she sees me though, she sets it back down. "Oh hey, there you are. How did it go with Weaver?" She asks as we hug.

"Alright I guess, he showed me my mother's interrogation and we concluded that she isn't the one who did this."

"And do you actually believe that?"

I nod, "I do. I could just tell. At first I was suspicious but as Weaver asked her more questions, she seemed truthful." I look to Emma and get sad. I grab her hand and rub it, "Hi baby." I kiss her cheek.

Elsa sighs, "It's so damn hard seeing her like this. I just...I can't believe this happened. Getting shot? This isn't freaking Chicago or Baltimore. This is Storybrooke, I just don't understand."

"Neither do I. It's just not right. It's why I believe it's someone we know or knew from the past because random shootings don't happen here. But I guess we never truly know...I just want her to wake up and I want the shooter off the streets. It's that so much to ask for?"

I start tearing up and Elsa comes over and wraps her arms around me, "I know. I want that too. Weaver seems like he knows what he's doing, I'm sure he'll find the shooter. And as for Emma, she is so tough, I know she will wake up."

"Yeah." I wipe my eyes and blow my nose. "So, how did Loraine take it?"

"She was completely fine with me leaving. She had me finish a few of the bigger tasks that had to be completed and let me leave late that night. I'm so grateful for that."

"Me too, Emma needs you here."

"She needs you too. Regina, I'm so happy you came back into Emma's life. I always thought she was this bright, happy girl. But she had these dark moments at times and they seemed to stop whenever she got together with you." She smiles as me with the most genuine smile.

I grin back, "Really?"

"Mhmm. You've really made such an impact on her, thank you. I felt like there was nothing I could do to bring her out of those dark times so I just waited it out. I think a piece of her was missing, like you were truly the answer all along. That's why I have such high hopes of her waking up. You guys literally complete one another, something so important wouldn't be so temporary. It can't be."

My eyes water as I smile at her and grab her hand, "Thank you. I really needed to hear that."

Elsa and I sit in silence, expressions despondent as we look at Emma. I was so desperate to see those green eyes and hear her soft voice again. The waiting and the not knowing was killing me.

For most of my life, I've always liked to know what to expect. I liked being spontaneous sure, but that was usually when Emma was by my side. But sitting here and realizing that this coma could last literally any amount of time in the world, that there was not even one way to pinpoint when she would wake up or even _if_ she would wake up, was really unsettling.

My phone beeps and I pull it out of my purse and scan the text. "Weaver is going to Boston this Sunday to talk to Robin…"

Elsa frowns, "Do you think he would have done this?"

"I...don't know. I want to say no, I really do. But Robin changed after we broke up and it seemed the longer he went without me, the crazier he became. I guess I will just have to wait and see how his interrogation goes."

Elsa shakes her head, "Wow. You know, you always read about those types of tragic stories where breakups make one of them crazy but you just never thought-"

"It would happen here?" I interrupt, "Yeah and we also never thought someone would get shot but look, both happened to me or someone in my life. Just my fucking luck I guess." My head goes into my hands.

I sigh, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you, I'm just frustrated."

"No, you're fine Regina. Frustrated is an understatement...but hey I better get going. I have to unpack and go to the grocery store. I'll probably be back here after dinner or so."

She gets up and grabs her stuff, "Okay, bye Elsa. See you later."

She squeezes my arm, "Bye."

When she leaves, I'm by Emma's side again, gently rubbing her arm and humming "Keep Holding On" by Avril Lavigne. It was exactly how I felt and it gave me hope that we _will_ make it through.

This is kind of how the rest of the week went: I would visit in the mornings since I got the week off work. Luckily my work was very understanding. Elsa did have to go back to work when Loraine got back from the business trip so Elsa couldn't visit until after she got home. I would return home in time for when Henry got off the bus and after dinner, we both would come to the hospital and spend time there until visiting hours were over.

Emma's parents would often come as well for a few hours in the evening and talking with everyone there really helped. I felt less alone. We all were just trying to get through this.

 **Saturday (2:36 pm)**

I roll my eyes at yet another missed called from mother. It's the fourth call this week. I assume she's calling to either ask if I'm okay like any decent mother would do or to scold me for allowing the detectives to think she could have been the one responsible for Emma's coma. Well I don't care what she has to say, I don't want to talk to her.

I meant what I said all those months ago, I won't ever be in her life if she couldn't accept my relationship with Emma.

"Henry! Your grilled cheese is done!" I call out towards his room. I place his grilled cheese on a saucer and pour some tomato soup into a bowl.

"Mmm, looks great. Thanks, mom!" He says before kissing my cheek. I smile at him as he walks off towards his room once more.

Ever since the picnic, Henry hasn't been afraid to show his affection towards me. I understood completely though, if I were him, I would do the exact same thing. The kid has been through way more than someone his age should ever have to go through, he was so damn brave. He has helped me get through this immensely, I am extremely grateful to be blessed with a son like him.

My phone rings once more and I scoff. How many times do I need to ignore mother in order for her to understand that I am intentionally ignoring her?!

I almost press end again until I see it's the hospital calling. Oh god. I feel my stomach drop, calls from hospitals are usually bad. Did she...no. Stop and don't think like that.

I hit answer, "Hello?" The anxiety has never been so clear through my voice before.

"Hello, this is Nurse Bailey. Is this Regina Mills?"

"Yes this is her, is Emma okay?"

The nurse doesn't answer for a few seconds and I almost cry out loud, "Regina, she's awake. Emma Swan is awake."

The phone drops from my hand and I automatically start crying. My beautiful Emma is awake! I knew she would, I just knew it! She is a fighter, she always has been and oh god I love her so much. She's awake. This is probably the happiest I have ever felt in my entire life.

 **Awe, yay :)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: A New World**

 **(Emma's POV | Moments earlier…)**

 _Regina looks at me with tear-filled eyes and smiles, "Go Emma."_

" _Where?" I ask. I'm intrigued by her statement because why would I want to go anywhere but right here where Regina herself is?_

 _She doesn't say anything, she just points upwards. I turn to where she's pointing and notice a dim light. It's strange but I'm so drawn to it. I turn my head back towards her, "I'm scared."_

 _She laughs as if that was the most ridiculous thing she's ever heard, "Nonsense, don't be scared, Emma. Besides, you can handle anything no matter what life throws at you."_

" _You really think so?"_

 _She nods, "Yes, remember that. Now go, before it's too late." I wanted to hug her and say goodbye but I couldn't, I just felt myself moving. I look back towards the light which is now brighter, causing me to squint. I guess this is the end…_

My eyes slowly open and as soon as they do, I close them again since now I'm seeing a whole new kind of light. I attempt to open my eyes again and notice I'm in the hospital. What the hell? I groan and scrunch my nose, feeling the small breathing tubes in my nostrils.

Suddenly the machines to my left start beeping like crazy. My eyes are now alert and I look around in a panic. A nurse runs into the room and as soon as she sees me, she shrieks, "Ahh, you're awake!" She smiles brightly and goes over to the machine and makes it quiet again.

I frown out of confusion, "Yeah, I'm awake." I mean how long was I asleep? "What's going on and where's my family?"

"I know you're confused, I'm going to grab Doctor Whale and I will make sure your family is called!" I watch her leave, still confused as ever.

I stretch my arms which are stiff as hell. Did I just not move when I was asleep? Usually I toss and turn during the night which used to drive Regina crazy.

Then I go to stretch my legs but something's weird. It's like the bottom of my body is missing. I clearly see the indent of the sheets over my legs but despite that, I flip the blanket off and am relieved to see they are still attached to my body.

But...I can't move them. My heart starts beating fast and my breathing becomes loud and short, I can't move my legs!

Tears automatically start pouring down my face as I touch my legs with my hand and feel nothing. Then I slap my leg hard but again, nothing.

My face falls into my hands as I cry and cry. When the doctor and nurse return I cry out, "I can't move my legs! I can't feel them!"

I've never felt so scared before.

The nurse looks heartbroken and comes over to me trying to comfort me, "Shhh, it's going to be okay." She rubs my arm.

"Why is this hap-happening to me?"

Doctor Whale wears a serious expression, "Miss Swan, nearly a week ago, you were shot in the lumbar region or as you would know, the lower part of your spinal cord. You were rushed here and made it through hours of surgery as we removed the bullet, fixed your spine, and controlled your blood loss. But you lost so much blood before even arriving here so that caused you to go into a coma until just now. And because you had such severe damage to the spine, paralysis...was expected."

I remain silent...I am at a loss for words. So I was comatose this entire time? And on top of that, I was shot and now...now I can't walk?

My lower lip trembles obnoxiously, "Can-can I be alone for a minute?"

The doctor nods, "Of course." He nods to the nurse who removes her hands from my arm and follows him out.

I can't believe this is happening. Oh god, come on this is just temporary right? There's no way I'll never walk again...I can't accept that.

All of this information that was given to me is extremely overwhelming. Who knew so much could happen in a week. And what are the chances of all of this shit happening to a single person...happening to me? It's almost like I'm having a nightmare that I desperately need to wake up from. But this isn't a nightmare, this is reality.

The crazy thing is, is that I have no recollection of being shot or anything. I don't even remember where a was or what was going on that day. It's completely blank and that makes this even scarier.

I hear rushed footsteps heading towards my room and quickly wipe my eyes. And there she is, there's my love.

Her eyes widen, "Emma!" She runs towards me and hugs me tight which I quickly return. "I knew it. You're so strong, I knew you wouldn't leave me." Then her hands cup my face as she kisses me hard. We pull back out of breath and I look into her warm brown eyes. But instead of feeling that familiar sense of calm that I normally feel when I look at her, I burst into tears.

She frowns and sits on the edge of the bed, "Baby, what is it?" She tucks my hair behind my ear.

I shake my head, how could I tell her? "I...when I woke up, my-my legs, they…" I look down, even though this wasn't my fault, I felt ashamed.

Her eyes widen and then get watery, "No." She breathes out.

"I'm sorry." I whisper, although I barely hear it myself.

"What? Why? You should not feel sorry for this, Emma." She caresses my cheek but I pull away causing pain to take over her eyes.

"How can I support my family like this? How can I do anything normal like this? I-I don't think I can handle this, Gina." I start crying again and Regina embraces me, this time I lean into her touch.

"Shh, we _will_ get through this Emma, and we will get through this together because I love you so much. This has not changed the way I feel about you and it never will." Her words were kind but they were hard to fully believe. Maybe she felt this way now but what if this is permanent? Her feelings could change overtime. "Did the doctor say anything? I saw him outside of your room."

I sniff, "He just told me what happened to me but that's it. How did it happen, were you there?"

Gina shakes her head, "Let's save that story for later, for now let's just see what Doctor Whale thinks about for the future of your condition, okay?"

"Alright." She gets up but before she exits, I ask, "Where's Henry?"

"I am terrible but as soon as the hospital called, I left without saying anything. I was more than halfway here when I realized I didn't even tell him. I asked your parents to grab him when they come. Which should be soon, actually."

I simply nod and watch her go.

She returns shortly with the doctor right behind her, "Is the paralysis permanent?"

Doctor Whale shifts his weight, "Umm...well-"

"Just say it, I need to know exactly what I'm dealing with here." I could tell it was bad and that he felt bad but what was there to do? What was there to say other than the cold truth that I already knew.

I look at Regina who still wears such hope on her face as she awaits his answer, "With this sort of spinal damage, you will most likely never walk again. I'm sorry. I've worked here a very long time and I've only witnessed two cases to which they gained that ability back and even that took years of physical therapy…"

Hearing that was devastating although surprisingly I didn't cry. I just stared off unable to say anything. So this is it? This is my life now?

"We will continue to monitor her today and if her vitals remain stable as they have since she woke up, she can leave tomorrow morning."

Regina smiles, "You hear that Emma? You can finally come home." She grabs my hand and kisses it with her soft lips. God, I missed that.

I give her a weak smile knowing that home would be different, that most things would be different now and I wasn't sure how that was going to affect...well everything.

Just then my parents, Henry, and Elsa rush into my room.

My mom sobs, "My baby!" She runs over and embraces me tightly, my dad shortly behind her.

"Welcome back sweetheart, so glad to see those eyes open again." Dad says.

They move back and Henry is next to hug me, "Mom! I missed you so much, I'm so glad you're okay!" It felt so nice to have all of my family here especially after hearing the news about my paralysis.

Elsa is last, "Emma, I knew you would fight this. Nothing, not even a bullet can bring you down. I love you." I hug her tight as well.

"I...I'm glad you're all here. Um...we found out that uh…" My eyes water and Regina is by my side again.

"I will tell them." She says as she rubs my arm. I nod and she kisses my cheek. She fills them in on the information that Doctor Whale gave us. Everyone cried upon hearing that and stared at me so different now, with pity drowning their eyes. I understood but still, I didn't like it. It made me feel even weaker than I was already feeling.

We continued on with light conversation: talking about things like Henry's schooling and Elsa's business trip. But I had a hard time focusing because I really needed to know how this happened to me.

Regina finally tells me everything from the moment we woke up that day. We took the horses on Salt Valley Trail to have a picnic on the hill. Something we liked do every so often. She said we were about to tell Henry our story when the horses started freaking out and I went to check on them. That was when I was shot and sent here. Oh god, imagine if Regina went to check on them or hell, what if Henry did? I don't think I could have handled that.

"Do they know who did it?"

Regina shakes her head, "No, not yet. They took my mother into questioning but we don't believe she did it. Tomorrow will be Robin's interrogation. Do you remember anything at all from that day?"

I frown and shake my head, "No...none of what you told me rings a bell."

"I figured as much. Doctor Whale said you may never remember but he also said sometimes memories come back in flashes."

My mom speaks up, "I'm just glad the coma didn't affect your memory entirely. Some people don't even remember their own names."

Damn, that would have been awful.

A few hours later everyone leaves except Regina and Henry. They planned on staying the night tonight.

"Come on, she's been here long enough. Can't she come home tonight?" Regina begs. I didn't blame her, I wanted to be home just as much as she wanted me to. If not more, I wasn't a big fan of hospitals.

Nurse Bailey shakes her head, "I'm sorry but Doctor's orders are for her to stay in bed until tomorrow morning. If the night goes without any problems, then she can go home."

Regina sighs and sits back in her chair as the nurse leaves.

"It's okay, baby. I'm just glad you're here." I inform her.

She smiles and walks towards me, "Let's sleep. Then morning will come faster."

I chuckle, "Good idea." She leans down and kisses me. I wanted to deepen it but our son was sitting in the other chair on the other side of my bed. "Goodnight."

"Night, my love." She kisses my forehead before returning to her chair and pulling a blanket over her body.

"Night Henry." I reach my hand towards him and he grabs it and squeezes, "Night, mom." I turn off the TV and curl to my side, watching Regina until sleep takes over.

XX

We pull into our parking spot and I've never been so happy to see our apartment building before. Regina opens my door as I unhook my seatbelt. I huff as she puts on arm under my legs and the other behind my back, lifting me gently. I hated that she had to do this.

"Oh wipe that frown off your face grumpy pants. I love holding you."

"Yeah but it's for all the wrong reasons." I pout.

Regina sighs, "Henry, can you get the door?"

"Sure, mom!" Henry digs Regina's key out of her purse and unlocks the door. Ahh, home. I missed the smell.

Regina sets me down on the couch in the living room and I just stop, "Where did that come from?" I stare at the wheelchair in disbelief.

"Your parents bought it after they left yesterday and I gave them Henry's key to surprise you. Now I don't have to carry you for all the 'wrong reasons'." She smiles as me but it quickly fades.

"I'm-I'm not using that. I don't need it, tell them to take it back."

Her brow furrows, "What? No, I'm not doing that. This is going to help, Emma."

"I said I don't need it." I hiss through my teeth.

"Oh for god's sake. Can you stop being so damn stubborn and accept the chair?"

I shake my head and she groans, "You're being so childish, Emma. Please, can you just try it?"

"For the last time, I _don't_ need it." I say crossing my arms.

"Fine. Hey, Emma? Could you go grab my phone off the counter?"

Bitch. "I would be happy to." I look around wondering how exactly this is going to work. I look at the wheelchair...no. Legs, work dammit! Just move, please! I turn my face away so Regina doesn't see my tears starting to form. Then I roll off the couch and start dragging my body across the floor.

"You can't just drag yourself everywhere you go!" Regina yells after me.

I ignore her and pull myself to the kitchen. Shit, this is hard. I start breathing heavier as I continue to wear myself down. I'm finally at counter and turn myself around so I'm sitting on my butt. I reach up and my fingertips lightly touch the phone but end up pushing it back a bit. Ugh. Regina watches me, probably waiting for me to give in.

I pull myself to the door and grab the broom off the back and slide it across the floor by the counter before slowly returning to that spot. I pick the broom back up again and use it to push her phone into my lap.

"Here." I say in a breathy voice and lay flat on my back, exhausted.

She grabs it and shakes her head, "You'll do all of that, but you refuse to use a wheelchair? I don't see what the big deal is!"

I sit back up and run my hand through my hair, "I'm not relying on that to help me get around. I'm not relying on anyone but myself, okay?" I start heading towards the living room.

"No, no screw this." Regina mutters before reaching down and attempting to pick me up.

"Stop it!" I yell but she ignores me. I try to wiggle free but that's quite hard to do when only half of your body works.

Then she does the unthinkable, she sets me in the chair.

"Regina! Why won't you listen to me?" I ball my hands into fists.

Her hands cup my face, "No, _you_ won't listen to _me!_ You need to stop this, stop worrying about your damn pride or-or looking weak or whatever it is because it's alright. It's okay to need a little help sometimes!"

My head turns down in defeat. She's right. And what I was doing earlier was a bit ridiculous. But like she pointed out, I hated seeming weak...I just wish I could do everyday things without help. But my life has changed, so everyday things will too now.

I sigh, "Okay. Fine, I'll give it a chance."

Regina smiles at me and it's just so beautiful. "Thank you, baby."

"Uhh is everything okay? I heard yelling." I turn and see Henry standing in the doorway.

Regina speaks first, "Oh just your mother being her usual stubborn self. But everything's alright now." She says as she rubs my cheek. Even though I was recently annoyed with her, I lean into her touch. I love her too much to stay mad.

"Okay, good." He says while holding his thumbs up. I can't help but grin at him.

We watch him leave and Gina says, "I love you Emma."

"And I love you. I love you so much." I pull her down so she kisses me. I open my mouth slightly and her tongue slowly massages mine, a moan escaping my lips.

Unfortunately, her phone rings interrupting us. I sigh and she groans at the same time.

She roughly reaches into her back pocket and takes out her phone, her annoyed expression suddenly turns into a sort of anxious one. "It's Weaver."

"Who?"

She doesn't answer but holds a finger up telling me to hang on.

"Hello? Yeah. You did? What? Oh...okay. Okay, yeah. We'll be right over. Mhmm, bye."

I frown, "Regina, who's Weaver?"

She licks her lips, "He's the detective on your case. Emma, he says they've arrested someone for your shooting. They found who did it."

Holy shit.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: Betrayed**

 **Hey guys! Thanks for all of your support, you guys are great! :) Also, I have the first chapter done on my new story. I am quite happy with the idea of it. It will probably be posted whenever the last chapter of this story is posted!**

 **One other thing: I am so incredibly sad that OUAT is over. But just because Once is over, doesn't mean SQ is! Keep reading swanqueen fanfiction, keep writing swanqueen fanfiction! Let's keep SQ alive for as long as possible because it's too beautiful not to!**

 **That's all for now :)**

( **Regina's POV** )

I was nervous. So nervous that I nearly ran two stop signs on the way to the station. Whoever did it was probably staying there temporarily until they could be taken to an actual prison out of the city since Storybrooke only had a small jail. That's all that was ever needed.

"Is your father there?" I ask.

Emma shakes her head, "No, Graham is. Dad's off today...of course."

I nod and try to keep my hands from shaking. We finally pull into the parking lot but we didn't even have to get out of the car to see just exactly who they had handcuffed.

My mouth drops and my eyes widen, "Mother?"

Emma's hand grasps my arm, "Wait, I thought you guys concluded that she didn't do it?"

"I…" I was speechless. We watch as my mother is being pulled towards another police vehicle. I get out of the car and quickly walk towards the scene, leaving Emma in the car. Before I can approach mother, some man holds his arm in front of me.

"I'm sorry but I can't let you go any further."

I try to push his arm away, "I need to speak to Weaver! That's my mother." I was feeling so many emotions right now, I wanted to talk to mother too but it was too late. She was pushed into the car already.

A hand lands on my shoulder and I turn to see Weaver. He nods his head for me to follow him but I inform him that I have to grab Emma first.

He waits patiently as I help Emma into her wheelchair and follow him to his office out of all of the commotion outside. Many people that have grown up in this town saw my mother handcuffed and dragged away.

"I was hoping you wouldn't see that yet but now you know. And Miss Swan, glad to see you made it out alive."

"Me too." She says seriously.

"Weaver, how? I thought-"

"I know. Early this morning, we received an anonymous tip: That a silver BMW was spotted near the trail the day Miss Swan was shot. We look into anything given to us and considering this was our only piece of evidence so far for this case, we took it quite seriously. There are only two citizens of Storybrooke who have a silver BMW. Cora Mills and Sidney Glass.

Now, simply saying that car was seen and knowing they have this car is not enough to arrest them but, it is enough to search their homes. We found nothing in Sidney's house. But we found something quite interesting in Cora's. A gun, which she claimed she never even owned. But as we kept searching her home, and this took several hours by the way, we found a firearm registration in her name. Cora lied about owning a gun which just so happens to be a gun that uses the same bullets as the one removed from Miss Swan's spine."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I knew my mother was evil and terrible and even had some psychotic qualities but never in my life would I have seen her actually shooting someone that means so much to me.

My fist slams on the desk, "How could she do this to me? To you?" I turn to Emma who is just staring at the desk. I can't imagine what she's feeling right now. My mother paralyzed her. And what, all because she's homophobic? This is bullshit!

"Does this mean you didn't end up questioning Robin then?" Emma eventually asks. Oh yeah, I forgot that his interrogation was today.

Weaver shakes his head, "I was going to but then we received the tip and I figured I better look into it before going all the way to Boston."

So he wasn't questioned...I guess that's fine considering it is pretty obvious that my mother did it. The thought of this is still so bizarre.

When we get home, we decide to watch a movie, a silent distraction from the recent news that has really shattered both of us even more.

Before hitting play, I call Henry to me.

"How did it go, who did it?" Henry asks.

I sigh, "My mother."

His eyes widen, "What?"

"I know I haven't told you much about her but that's because she isn't good, Henry. And you are so I didn't want her to mess you up like she did to me and now...Emma. She was never a fan of me being into women. I just never thought...I never thought she would take it this far." I sniff and shake my head.

Henry hugs me tight, "I'm sorry, mom." He whispers.

"I know you are. You have made this easier Henry, I love you."

He pulls back and smiles slightly, "Love you too."

"Want to join us for a movie?"

He nods, "Yeah sure!" He runs into the living room, making me chuckle. I follow him and see him right up against Emma. Emma's arm is behind him and his head rests on her shoulder. It made me melt inside. I sit beside Henry, cuddling against him and pressing play. We had a lot to think about and to talk about but for now, we were pushing that aside and pretending for an hour and a half that we have nothing to worry about.

XX

"What was it like?" I ask randomly at the table as we eat french toast.

"What was what like, babe?" Emma asks me. My heart still flutters when she calls me those little names.

"Being...in a coma. Do you remember anything?" I have been itching to know this since the day she woke up.

She nods, "Mhmm. It honestly felt like I was asleep for just a night. And that night happened to be filled with lots of dreams. Most of them involved you."

I smirk, "Like sex dreams?" I lick my lips and watch her eyes widen and her cheeks blush.

"N-no." She chuckles. "Okay maybe one...but that's not what I was going to mention!" She cries making me laugh.

"Okay, okay I'm sorry. Go on."

"There was one where you were singing to me. There was another where you were holding me as I cried. Although I don't know why I was crying. Then there was one where...wait. Sex, Regina how-how is that going to work?" She asks as she stares down at her legs.

I frown because that thought didn't occur to me, "I...um well you said you could feel when you pee and stuff right? So maybe you can feel more...pleasurable things as well." I squeeze me legs together just thinking about it. It feels so long since we've been intimate. Thank god Henry was at school during this conversation.

Emma groans, "It's been so long…"

"I know." I say quietly. I wanted to rip her clothes off right there but I'm not sure how well that would go.

She rubs her hands together, "Could we...could we try tonight?"

I smirk, "Yes. I need you Emma. But even if you can't feel there...there are other ways I can make you scream my name."

Emma's eyes darken. Licking her lips she says, "Fuck. Now, I need you now, Gina."

I growl and push back the chair roughly, rushing over to her and sitting on her lap in her wheelchair. Her hands grip my waist hard as my hands cup her face. I bring my lips to hers, automatically granting her tongue access to my mouth.

I then trail my tongue along her jawline, enjoying the soft whimpers escaping her lips.

Her hands tug on my pajama shirt, I raise my arms so she can easily remove it. She licks her lips as she gazes at my bare chest. Her hands rest gently on my breasts making me sigh. Her lips kiss down my neck until they stop at my pulse point, sucking hard. I moan as she squeezes my breasts with her soft hands, throwing my head back slightly.

But then a thought pops into my mind and...I stop. I stop and pull back. I get off her lap and find my shirt.

Emma frowns at me, "Hey where are you going, what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry, it's just-"

"It's because of this isn't it?" She asks, pointing to her legs. "Oh god, I knew it."

"What? No! Not at all, Emma. Trust me, I was thoroughly enjoying myself. It's just...something's been on my mind and I feel like I can't keep ignoring it. And it's not something I want popping into my head when we are doing that."

Relief settles in her eyes, "Oh okay. So what exactly has been on your mind?"

I was hesitant to say just because I feel like she might not like it, "I...I want to talk to my mother."

"Seriously? I thought you were done with her for good."

"Emma, I know I said that but I have to know. I have to know what the hell she was thinking and why she would take it this far! There's got to be something I'm missing because this is all too much, even for her!" I shake my head, suddenly feeling frustrated.

Emma sighs, "You really feel this way?"

I nod, "I do." I bite my lip, waiting to hear what she thinks.

"Well then I think you should talk to her. I trust you Regina."

I smile at those words, "Thank you." I lean down and kiss her softly.

"But you still owe me big time for stopping us earlier." She states with a playful glare. I laugh and give her sloppy kisses all over her face, causing her to laugh.

XX

Emma's first day of physical therapy was today which is why she didn't come with me to talk to mother. Mary Margaret and David are taking her. I'm sad I couldn't take her to her first one and she's sad she couldn't come with me but we knew both were too important.

I drive almost an hour and twenty minutes to the Maine State Prison. I was so nervous for this. I park in the lot and enter the building. I put my name on the list and am escorted to one of those chairs with the phones that you see in the movies. In front of me is glass, but no one sits behind it yet. I rub my hands together anxiously, not really knowing what to expect.

Finally, they bring mother into the room behind the glass, she freezes when she sees me.

I try to keep my anger under control as much as possible. I pick up the phone but I don't say anything.

She speaks first, "Hello, Regina."

 **Sorry that this update was late by the way. Working midnights makes writing hard!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: Complicated**

She speaks first, "Hello, Regina."

I don't speak, not right away. I just stare at her in disbelief. She had bags under her eyes, something I rarely ever see. She seemed cold, empty, and defeated. She seemed like she may have even been crying.

How can she start out like this, like she's trying to normalize everything? Nothing about this is normal, it's fucking sick!

I grip the phone tight, "How could you?" I stretch out every word slowly through my clenched teeth.

"I know it looks bad but-"

"Looks bad? It _is_ bad, mother! Emma can't even walk now! I thought she was going to die! How could you do something this fucking twisted to your own daughter?" I ask full of desperation and anger.

Mother closes her eyes briefly, "Regina-"

"No, stop! Do you realize the damage that you have done? I mean can your demented mind actually see how fucked up this is? I-"

"Regina, just-" Her voice raises a tad.

"This could be for forever mother! Emma may never walk again and it doesn't even seem like you-"

"Regina! I'm being framed! I didn't - I didn't shoot her."

What the hell? Okay, now that makes me stop, I'm so caught off guard by her statement. Although part of me knew something was off about this situation.

I frown, "What are you talking about? The certification was in your damn name, the gun was found in your house. Who the hell would have framed you and-and why?"

She sighs, "I don't know."

I scoff, "Oh my god, seriously? You expect me to believe this shit and you can't even give me any sort of details except saying you're being framed? Wow, I see how this is going to go. I should not have even come here." I go to put the phone back but her voice flows through.

"Wait! Please, just let me explain!" Her hand rests against the glass.

I'm so pissed right now, but I needed this to make some sort of sense. I pick the phone back up hesitantly, never tearing my fiery eyes away from hers, "You have five minutes. I mean it doesn't make sense, I saw you being taken away. You didn't say anything...you just let them take you."

"That's because - Regina, I may not have shot Emma but I'm...I'm still guilty."

I shake my head, still confused. Damn it, she needs to just say what she wants to say. "Okay…"

Her free hand rubs her eyes, "Robin contacted me shortly after you posted online about your engagement. He sounded different, crazed even. He told me how Emma beat him or something when you guys went to Boston to get your stuff and how ever since that day he wanted revenge. Not just revenge for her punching him but revenge for everything. I laughed at him because it just sounded ridiculous at this point. But he stopped me and said he was serious. He told me how much he hated Emma and it made me think of how much I did too. How much I hated her stealing you away and making you into something I spent so long trying to avoid. And so I slipped….I gave him someone to contact."

"Who?" I whisper.

She breathes out deeply, "I don't know his name. I've never even seen his face. I just gave the number to Robin. This person...basically you pay him to rough someone up. I've gone to him in the past. But he's never took it this far, he's only ever beat them, giving them some bruises and scrapes to prove a point or get even. I didn't think he would use a gun! If I did, I would not have even given Robin the information! Robin sent me the money and I dropped it off at the given meeting spot...I'm so sorry Regina." Tears form into her eyes but my anger and disgust only grows.

"You are dead to me." I say, my voice ice cold. It's like I can't move. I just sit there, clenching and unclenching my fists. My mother was the one to start this all. And Robin is involved too?

"Regina, please. I..."

I suddenly start slamming the phone against the glass over and over, "You did this! You hurt Emma! You are a monster!" I feel two pairs of arms grab me from my seat.

I cry as they pull me out. The last thing I see is my mother's horrified face and a dangling phone. They tell me something like I'm banned from this prison or something but I didn't give a damn. As far as I'm concerned, I have no mother now. And I heard everything I needed to.

I don't know how long I sit in my car, probably almost an hour. My phone was going crazy and out of control but I couldn't bring myself to even look at it.

Finally I start up the car and head home. I had to tell Emma this. I had to tell Weaver, too. Robin should be right where my mother is and now, there's some creep out there who gets paid to hurt people. That is if mother is telling the truth. But I think she is, she didn't carry her usual stern and off-putting self. She was actually raw and she even apologized. She's never even apologized for abusing me and that's because she still believes that's okay. But this...shooting someone was not. Not even to her.

Whoever did this needs to be stopped.

XX

( **Emma's POV** )

I hear the door open and feel relieved. Regina would not answer her phone the entire time except to say she was leaving. I'm assuming things didn't go too well. Not that I even expected them to. I roll into the kitchen, "Hey, I was worried. So, how did it go?" I ask cautiously.

She then bursts into tears, "My-my mother it was her and then Robin and-and some other stranger, and mother gave the money but apparently didn't know-" She rambles but I stop her.

Grabbing her hands, I say, "Whoa whoa, slow down. Actually let me make you some tea alright? Just wait for me in the living room." She nods in defeat. Before she trudges to the living room though, she moves everything close to the edge of the counter so I can reach it easily. I smile because despite how clearly upset she is, she still thinks of me. It truly is the little things.

I pull the cup out of the microwave and carefully place the tea bag into the semi-hot water. Then I bring the cup to my lap and stuff it between my legs, hoping it wouldn't tip while wheeling myself into the living room. Luckily, it doesn't.

"Thank you." She says and takes a long sip while closing her eyes.

"Do you feel any better?" I ask.

She frowns at me, "No Emma. I don't. And I can't believe it seems like you do. As far as your concerned, mother shot you and paralyzed you. How can you act like this?"

"You think I'm not upset still? I want to scream every time I realize I can't do something. Waking up and getting out of bed, going to the bathroom, taking a bath, getting dressed...are all constant reminders that my legs don't work! It's awful Regina. I'm infuriated with Cora but what the hell am I supposed to do? What's done is done, I can't turn back time. And what do you mean as far as I'm concerned. What, are you saying something's changed?"

She sighs, "She said she's being framed."

Okay, I wasn't expecting that actually. "Uh what? Who does she think is doing this to her? Do you believe her?"

I watch her face closely, she seemed distress. "I mean...you should have seen her Emma. I've never seen her this way before. She was crying and she apologized, she actually felt bad that this happened to you. And also...she sort of knows who did it."

I cross my arms. How does she only sort of know? "What the hell does that mean?"

And so Regina is finally ready to go into depth. And can I just say: are you fucking kidding me? Robin and Cora hated me _that_ much? That they would actually hire someone to come beat me up? Jesus, I thought they were both over it by now. I can't believe this, those bastards. And did they really not know about the gun? I feel like they would have had to know!

I'm paralyzed because they are actual idiots and just plain sick in the head.

"Fuck. We have to tell the detective this. It's unsettling that both Robin and that mystery guy is still out there." My voice comes out all shaky and I feel my stomach drop at the thought, he could be hurting someone as we speak. I mean who knows?

"I'm so fucking sorry, Emma. I could kill them." Regina growls out.

"Baby, it's not your fault. Please, you have to stop apologizing to me okay?"

She seems unconvinced still but nods anyways and sits in my lap, arms going around my neck and head settling on my chest. I sigh and put my arms around her, breathing in her scent which automatically calms me down a little. "I'm so in love with you, Gina."

She brings her head up for a moment to look at me, then she presses her lips to mine, "I am too, Emma. And I will be no matter what, you understand that?"

I open my mouth, hesitant. Because will she love me forever? Will she if this paralysis is permanent? "Yeah…" I breathe out, despite my contradicting thoughts.

We stay there a while until Regina falls asleep. Which was fine by me considering...it's not like my legs would fall asleep or anything. I shake my head and rub my fingers through her hair softly.

Henry comes in, yawning.

I grin at him, "Did you wake up from a nap or something?"

"Nahh, just laying in bed reading for a few hours. Makes me sleepy though." He yawns again, this time stretching his arms out wide and almost perfectly horizontal.

 _Suddenly, we are on the hill. Things aren't super clear. I watch as Henry puts his arms out and closes his eyes. Then I hear laughter - Regina's laughter. I ask her to join but she declines. Then I feel the wind on my face again, absorbed in the feeling._

A finger taps my shoulder, "Mom!" Henry whispers loudly.

I jerk in my chair causing Regina to wake up. "Shit, sorry." I mumble down at her.

"Mom, what just happened, you looked gone for a second." This must have intrigued Regina because she gets off my lap and bends down, looking at my face with concern.

"Emma, are you alright?" She sounded on the verge of a panic attack.

I hold my hands up, "You guys, I'm alright. I just, I saw something. I think I remember something from that day."

Regina's eyebrows shoot up, "Really? What did you see?"

I inform them and they both get this spark in their eyes, "Mom, that was right! That really did happen!" Henry says, excitement dripping from his voice. I chuckle.

"So it just came randomly? The doctor said you might get flashbacks."

"It wasn't really random...I mean I saw Henry stretch and it took me to that exact moment to when he held his arms out."

"Wow." Regina says, amazed. "So do you know what happened after or before that?"

I shake my head, "I only remember what I saw."

"That's alright, it's a start. The doctor said you may never remember but you did so...I don't know it just...gives me hope." Regina smiles for the first time since she got back from the prison.

I grin back, "Yeah, you're right." Henry comes over and kisses my cheek. I rub his hair playfully making him laugh.

Things may have gotten more complicated but right now in this very moment, we had hope. That's what true family can do. Lift your spirits and make you feel like you're not alone. That everything is going to be alright. And I wouldn't trade them for the world.

 **Awe, happy moment. Much needed after all this sadness! Stay tuned for what Weaver thinks about Cora's claim!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: Taking Charge**

"You expect me to believe that Cora Mills was framed?" Weaver questions.

I frown, "Yeah, it's what her mom told her and she believes her. You can't just blow something like this off!"

Regina grabs my hand and rubs my knuckles with her thumb, a gesture to help me calm down.

"Look, as much as part of me wants to look into it, the case it closed now. We had good evidence to arrest Cora."

Regina scoffs, "Yeah with some anonymous tip. Big deal."

"And the gun I might add." Weaver says, annoyed. "But going back to the tip...if what you're saying is in fact true, then there's someone playing bad cop here."

My eyebrows raise in surprise, "What makes you say that?"

"Because I received the tip the day I was going to interrogate Robin. So if what you're saying is true, that means the shooter works in this very building. Because this is the only place where people knew about his interrogation. And you guys of course."

Ahh that makes sense.

Regina speaks up, "Well put them all into custody and question them! And Emma might even recognize one of them, she remembered a little bit about that day yesterday."

Weaver sighs, "Unfortunately, I can't just drag all of them into custody like that. Especially now that the case is closed. But...if you can get a confession out of Robin then we can get somewhere. Other than that, there's nothing I can really do."

Seriously? Nothing he can do? There are two other people out there that should be locked up and he barely seems to care. Fine, if it's a confession he wants, a confession is what he will get. But how?

Regina and I ride in silence on the way home. "We need him to confess." I blurt out.

Regina nods, "I was thinking the same thing. But how are we supposed to get him to do that?"

I smirk, "I could threaten him."

Regina chuckles, "Yeah I'm sure that's a good idea." She says sarcastically. "Maybe...maybe if I talk to him, like really talk to him, he will listen to me. I feel like I could get to him."

"Do you?"

She shrugs, "I feel like it's worth a shot since Weaver clearly isn't going to do anything."

"I don't know Regina…" Talking to Robin seemed like a bad idea. I mean, what if the shooter is with him right now? What if Robin has a gun himself?

She grabs my hand, "Come on, Emma. If we don't do this, they may never get the punishment they deserve and could do this to someone else in the future. And the next person may not make it out alive. Do you trust me?"

I sigh, "Of course I do. I don't trust _him._ "

"Neither do I for the most part but I fully believe he won't hurt me, not like that. I have to do this."

I look at her eager eyes but shake my head, "No. No it's too dangerous. You don't know what could happen."

"Emma please-"

"No, Regina. Look I don't ask you for much but I'm asking something of you now and that's for you to stay and not go to Robin. You could get hurt or worse...I can't lose you." I say as I rub her cheek.

She sighs, "Fine. I won't go but we should start thinking of how we can get him to confess, okay?"

I nod, relieved that she agreed so quickly.

XX

 **(Regina's POV** )

When we get home, we decide to watch a movie. Emma lays in my lap as I play with her hair, twisting and turning it around in my fingers. She is so beautiful. About an hour into the movie, I notice Emma is asleep. As I'm staring at my Emma who looks so serene, I think about how wonderful she's taking this whole paralysis thing. I honestly thought she would be way more down about but she's just so strong. Not even a gun could stop her strength.

I have to go. I know that Robin will at least hear what I have to say. I fully believe I can help push him towards confessing. "I'm sorry." I whisper and kiss her cheek.

I slowly slide out from under her and peek back, watching as she shifts a bit but luckily doesn't wake up. I go to the counter and write her a quick note, grab some pepper spray just in case, and put my shoes back on. I shut the door quietly and run to my car, the sooner the better.

I listen to calming music on the way there, it helped a little but I still felt the nerves bubbling in my stomach. I also try to plan what I'm going to say but I don't think I can plan it, I believe I'll just go with the flow - something I did only when I was younger.

After a few hours of driving, I pull into the parking lot of my old apartment building, swallowing hard. I'm scared if I must be honest. I don't think he'll hurt me, no. But one never truly knows right? And the last time I saw him was when I was moving out. He could be worse now.

I'm at his door, wiping my clammy hands on my pants. _You can do this Regina._ I think of Emma, unconscious in the hospital. I think about the look she gave me when she told me she couldn't move her legs. I think about how scared Henry and I were knowing there was a chance we could have lost her. I think about how there could be so many other people who might end up going through something similar.

Yes, I can do this. If not for me, then for Emma and others in the future. I let out a long breath of air and knock three times. I wait..it hasn't been long but I feel myself growing anxious. Finally, the doorknob turns.

Wide eyes stare back at me, "Regina? W-what are you doing here?"

I try to control the sudden anger I'm feeling, "I think you know." He attempts to close the door but I put my foot in the doorway, "Uh-uh. We need to talk, Robin."

He lets out a defeated sigh and opens the door again, allowing me to walk past him. I immediately notice how cold the vibe seemed in here. It was once a home to me, but now it's so impersonal and dull. I sit on the beige couch and he sits on the chair across from me.

"My mother told me, Robin. Is it true?" I give him a look full of desperation. I needed him to be honest.

His eyes hold deep pain in them, "I...what exactly did she tell you?"

I sigh, "That she is being framed. That she didn't shoot Emma but was involved. She told me she gave you contact to some guy and you paid him to 'take care' of Emma!" Tears form in my eyes.

"How could you do that to her, Robin? To me? I know what I did was shitty to you, I get it. But that doesn't mean you can put someone's life on the line! She could have died…" I bite my lip to stop it from trembling.

Robin's eyes also water. But he stays silent.

"Look at me and tell me the truth, is what my mother said true?"

He's frozen.

"I said look at me!" I grab his hand which surely catches his attention.

"It's true!" He yells. "All of it is true! I didn't plan for it to go as far as it did. He was initially just going to knock her down a bit and that was as far as I wanted to go. I met him a few days after I heard about your engagement and god, I was a mess. He helped me get back on my feet over the next two months after meeting him. It was rare for him to get close to a client like that but he helped me and agreed with how I felt after I told him my story. So a few days before he was going to Storybrooke, he pulls out a gun.

I ask him what the hell that was for and he said it was for my problem, if I wanted. I was just so angry with her Regina and-and I agreed out of anger and jealousy. I was so crazy...so I let him go. Well-well the second I heard she was shot and may possibly die, it's like I snapped out of it. I panicked, no way did I want Emma to die. I didn't want to be responsible for taking away a life! That's too much and I realized how it was not worth it. And now...now it's too late."

"Are you saying you've seen the shooter's face?" I ask with wide eyes as I finally release his hand.

He nods slowly, "...yes."

"Robin, yes Emma may never walk again but it's not too late to do the right thing. You have to confess and you have to give them the shooter's name."

He looks at me like I'm crazy, "I-I can't do that."

"Robin, you have to! You did something awful and you have to take responsibility for that! Sure it means you will do time but not near as much as the shooter! Please, years ago there was a good in you and I believe it's still in there, I saw a hint of it when you told me what having her shot did to you. It woke you up, please do this Robin. Or you'll live the rest of your life feeling this guilt that I know you feel."

He shakes his head, "I don't think I can."

I frown at him, "Then give me this, what's his name?"

"What? Why does that matter now, I'm not confessing Regina. I won't ever do something like this again okay. But I'm not going to prison either." I clench my fists, _stay calm._

"You owe me this! I need to know what man hurt Emma. The one who might have changed her life forever. Please, if you aren't going to confess then you have to give me a name. I can't leave without knowing."

He seems so hesitant but I can tell I'm getting to him, "He was good to me."

"I don't care, Robin. You know that means shit to me right now, just give me the goddamn name!" _Come on, just say it._ "I _have_ to know!"

"Jefferson! Jefferson Hatter!" He blurts out and doesn't look at me, clearly angry at me for getting him to admit that.

My brow furrows, "Why does that sound so familiar?"

"It doesn't matter! I gave you the name so please, just leave." He walks over to the door and holds it open for me.

I walk to the doorway but turn to him before leaving, "Are you sure you won't come with me to confess? I would be with you through every step to make it as easy as possible for you. And you personally going to the detective and confessing would definitely shorten your time."

He shakes his head, "I can't go to jail. I know I messed up but...but I'm human! We all mess up! I know this was big but I've learned from it, I really have. And don't even bother telling them I confessed, you'd have no proof." He rambles on.

I shake my head, clicking my tongue. Distancing myself a little I say, "It's a shame you didn't take me up on that offer, Robin. Because it just so happens I have all the proof I need. I have your entire confession now with me, right on my phone. Thank you for that."

His mouth drops open, "You were recording me?"

"It was my backup plan, one I was hoping I wouldn't have to use but you gave me no choice."

"You bitch." He reaches towards my bag for my phone but I pull out the pepper spray from my jacket pocket and get him in the eyes, it was pure reflex.

"Ahh, oh god!" He cries out as he wipes at his eyes aggressively. I take this opportunity to flee.

I open the car door and lock it as soon as I'm inside, breathing heavily. I muted all of my notifications earlier so as I regain my breath, I turn them back on. Oh god, Emma's pissed...I knew she would be but look, I'm fine and I got the confession!

It's nearly 8 in the evening when I make it back home. As soon as I open the door, I'm greeted by Emma in her wheelchair. Based on the look I'm currently receiving, I'm surprised smoke isn't pouring from her ears.

"What the fuck Regina!"

"Emma, I know you're mad but-"

"Mad is an understatement! We specifically agreed that you weren't going to do this, I asked you of one goddamn thing and you couldn't even listen! Fuck!"

"I know and I'm sorry but look I'm okay." I say as I gesture down my body.

"But you might not have been. I was so fucking worried Regina and you had no one to protect you!" Tears run down her face. "And not to mention you didn't answer your phone for hours! I was thinking something happened to you. I can't believe you right now."

I approach her and lay my hands on her arm, "Emma…"

She roughly pulls away. "Don't touch me! Just leave me alone." She turns her chair around, quite slowly I might add and rolls away. Then she lets out a frustrated groan, "And I can't even storm off because of this damn wheelchair!"

I watch her get angry like she did as a child and I just laugh and I can't stop.

"Stop it, Gina. It's not going to work, it's not funny." She crosses her arms.

I laugh harder, feeling that pleasant burning sensation in my stomach and then I see it, I see her crack a smile ever so slightly.

And then laughter escapes her pale lips, "I hate you."

I smile at her, "No you don't, you love me and you know it." I walk over to her and sit in her lap which she actually accepts.

She grabs my chin and roughly turns it so I look into her eyes, "But seriously, I thought I lost you. And I can't imagine life without you, Regina. You idiot. I'm glad you're okay." She kisses my cheek.

I lay my head on her chest, listening to her heartbeat and breathing in her familiar scent.

"So how did it go, is Robin at the station or?"

"He refused to come directly with me and confess but that didn't stop me. Not only did he confess to _me_ but he also confessed to my phone." I smirk, proud of myself for actually doing this.

Emma raises an eyebrow, impressed, "Well, you my love are quite the clever one aren't you. So this is it, all we do now is show it to Weaver and he'll have their asses in jail. Then this will truly be over."

Yes, finally this madness will come to an end.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: Love, Peace, and Miracles**

 **Hello guys, thank you to all who stayed on this journey with me! You are awesome :) MY NEW STORY IS UP: It's called Slightly Obsessed. Hope you continue to stick around for more SQ fun!**

 **(Emma's POV)**

We wait for Weaver to show, anxious to reveal Robin's confession. I'm surprised about how calm I feel about this. I would have thought that I would've wanted to kill him with my own hands but I don't. I know he will get what he deserves and I know that hurting him myself won't change my situation. I'm just happy it was me who was shot and not Regina or Henry, now _that_ I don't think I could have handled.

And now that we have his confession, I feel at peace. I know that Jefferson, Cora, and Robin won't cause any more trouble in Storybrooke. At least not for a very long time.

The door opens and Regina squeezes my hand. "Hello, ladies. So you said you had something important to discuss?" Weavers asks as he sits in his chair across from us.

Regina speaks, "You said you needed a confession to proceed. Well...here it is." She pulls out her cell and presses play. Weaver listens closely. When it's finished, he says nothing. He seems off.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Remember when I said someone here was playing bad cop?" We nod. "Well, I was right. That name that Robin mentioned, Jefferson Hatter, he works in one of the offices here. Long story short he mostly handles paperwork. He knew about Robin's interrogation and warned him. Which means Robin was probably the one who left the tip and Jefferson was the one who planted the gun into Cora's home. Turns out Robin isn't as loyal as he was, though considering he threw him right under the bus in this confession."

Weaver pulls out his phone calling one of officers to grab Jefferson immediately. I can't help but turn around and look through the glass office windows to see if the man responsible passes by.

"Emma?" Regina says but I ignore her. I have to see him. I wait and wait and I assume that maybe he was taken out a different way. Just as I'm about to turn around, I see him. It's like everything's in slow motion. Two officers have a hand on each arm which are behind his back and push him forward, his face is angry. Then, then he turns towards me and my breath hitches. Those eyes...how did I forget those eyes full of darkness?

 _I run down the hill, curious as to why the horses were freaking out so badly. Probably just strangers getting too close. I suppose there aren't too many horses in Storybrooke. I reach them but there's no one around._

 _I frown as I pet one of their noses, a failed attempt to calm them down from whatever was bothering them._

 _Suddenly I hear the sound of leaves, like someone was stepping on them and crunching them under their shoes._

 _I freeze because for some reason, I get a really bad feeling. I swallow hard. It's probably just some animal scurrying through...hopefully. I turn my head towards the sound behind me and I see a black ski mask and crazy eyes. Eyes that were so bright in color but dark everywhere else. Then I hear it, so loud. Bam! Then darkness._

I try to get my breathing under control as the memory comes back to me. He narrows his eyes before turning back towards the front again, disappearing from my view.

I didn't even have time to react that day, he just came out of nowhere.

Regina rubs my arm, "Oh Emma, it's okay. He's going to be gone now for a long time. It's okay, baby." I lean into her to try and calm down, biting my lip to fight back the tears from escaping my eyes.

"So what about Robin?" Regina asks as she rubs my head with her fingertips.

"I've notified Boston Police so they should be on their way to his apartment now. Well done for this. I can't thank you enough for what you did, especially considering the risks involved."

Gina nods, "Of course. I'm just glad this is done. Are you ready, Emma?"

I nod, "Yes. Let's go home." I smile up at her because it was over. Finally.

XX

At dinner, Regina brings something up that was quite surprising. "Wait you wanna get married in a few months? I thought we were planning this very slowly and...precisely."

She shakes her head, "Emma, I almost lost you. I don't want to wait anymore, I want to marry you now, my love."

I smile brightly at her, "Well how could I say no to something like that? I can't wait to make you my wife."

Henry grins, "This is so great! Wait, wait so which one of you is going to walk down the aisle?"

I snort, "Um Henry, did you not hear what you just asked, obviously Gina has to."

Regina grabs my hand, "Not necessarily. How cool would it be if we like decked out your wheelchair and you're graciously pushed down the aisle to me?" Her eyes gleam.

I chuckle, "You've put a lot of thought into this haven't you?"

"Of course!"

I shrug, "Well that's fine by me. My parents can each grab a handle and wheel me down there. And Henry, you of course will bring us the rings."

"Yes!" He cheers to himself. I love our boy's support.

We sat around the table for hours that evening, dinner barely touched as our excitement grew from all of the planning. I never thought I'd be the type to get so damn ecstatic when it comes to planning a wedding but with these two by my side, I couldn't be any happier.

The next day we learn that Robin fled his apartment so the police are still out searching for him. At first my stomach sinks at the thought but Robin is a coward so I'm not too worried about it. I doubt he could have gotten far anyways.

About a week later though, he was found staying in a junky motel just outside of Boston. Him and Cora were accessories to an attempted homicide so they both got 2 years. Jefferson got 12 years with the possibility of parole.

Regina decided she wanted to take her home back and we did just that. We moved into the mansion that was once so intimidating. But now that we are actually in here, we've made it so much more welcoming. I love it! There were so many rooms to play around with. I even made one my own personal gym.

I continue to go to physical therapy day after day, pushing myself probably harder than I should. But I have a goal in mind. It's probably stupid and impossible but it keeps me going strong. I want to actually walk down the aisle and I want it to be a surprise.

For a while, I felt nothing. But just a few days ago, I began to actually gain back a little bit of feeling! It was one of the happiest moments of my life. I can wiggle my toes now. I often try to lift my legs up on my own but it's quite difficult and I lose my breath very quickly. I just don't think I'm there yet. It's very strange and frustrating but I'm determined to try and gain back my ability to walk. And I have about two more months until the wedding.

As hard as it has been, I haven't told anyone about my progress except Elsa and my parents. Regina and Henry still believe I am where I was at the beginning of therapy. Oh god, I want to tell them! But I want to shock them completely at the wedding. Or at least try.

 **(Regina's POV) Wedding Day**

My heart beats fast in my chest as the finishing touches are applied to my hair. Emma is going to be my wife. I just can't believe how far we've come. I started off as the girl who had a massive crush on her girl best friend. I always believed it was only a one-sided thing. And I feared that my mother would hurt me because of it. And she did. But we were still brought together because no, it was not one-sided. She loved me just as much then, maybe even more.

"Hair and makeup are finished!" The stylist, Anne, says smiling at her work. I turn around to look in the mirror and smile too. She made everything just as I imagined in my head. Elegant waves for my shorter hair and a pale pink flower crown to top it off. My makeup accented the flower crown, light shadow but bold lashes. My dress was made of white lace at the top and for the sleeves and white chiffon for the skirt part. It was long sleeved and had a slightly plunging neckline. I felt like a princess in it.

After my dress in on, I slip into my simple white heels and look into the mirror, my breathing becoming more noticeable as the nerves creep into my stomach. I'm getting married to my dream girl. I smile and blink away the wetness in my eyes. I refuse to cry so damn soon.

I enter the church, standing beside Elsa in her baby pink bridesmaid dress.

"You look stunning, Regina." Elsa says, squeezing my hand.

I smile brightly at her, "Thank you, Elsa. You do as well, I'm so glad you're here." I've gotten pretty close to her over the last two years. She was now someone very special to me.

But now I stare straight ahead, I couldn't focus on anything other than my breathing. God, why was I so nervous? And then the traditional wedding tune begins to play and I can't help but lick my lips with anticipation. Everyone stands, turning towards the large wooden doors.

Elsa's 8 year-old cousin comes in first, throwing multiple petals of all kinds of colors down the aisle. She looked precious with her shy eyes and small smile.

And then there she was, my absolutely beautiful bride. Emma's hair was in luscious waves with a matching flower crown, although hers was white. She's wearing an all white suit that was extremely sexy on her. It had both masculine and feminine touches to it. She smiles at me, and I smile back. I feel my eyes water as she gets closer to me.

She's pushed by her parents like we discussed who wear proud smiles on their faces. I was so happy to be apart of their family.

They are almost to me when suddenly, they slow down. David looks at Mary Margaret who gives him a small nod. Then Emma looks like she's attempting to get out of her wheelchair and my breath stops.

She stands with shaky arms and then shaky legs. Her legs...they moved! She takes one small, slow step towards me. Then another. I start walking towards her because I needed to have her in my arms, she is actually walking! She takes one more step before starting to shake and fall but I reach her in time and keep her up in my arms.

Tears fall from my eyes, "You did it."

She wipes one of my tears, "I wanted to surprise you. I love you and you helped me do this. You give me strength." I rub her cheek, tempted to kiss her. But I knew that might spoil the actual kiss of the evening. She settles back into her wheelchair and we head to the front together. I stand in front of her and grab her hands.

The priest also has wet eyes, as well as many others in the pews. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Emma and Regina in marriage. Their love is powerful and rare and although it hasn't always been easy, they have learned from each other and grown to better understand each other despite what troubles they have faced. May you both continue to learn from each other, laugh with each other, and love each other. Because love, true love, is the most powerful feeling in the world. God bless you both." He nods to me first.

Emma squeezes me shaky hands, "Emma Swan, I've loved you since the beginning. But I was just afraid of everything. My mother made things hard for me and convinced me to go away. When I found my way to you again long after that, I knew instantly that I never stopped loving you. And yeah it was hard at first but you still gave me a chance."

I put one hand on my heart, "And that I am incredibly grateful for. That's something that makes you so extraordinary. Your heart is so good no matter what life throws at us. And it has thrown us a lot. We've made it through the threats and hate of my mother, my crazy ex, and you getting shot. But despite all of that, look at where we are and how happy we are. I know I can make it through anything with you by my side. I love you so much." Emma beams back at me and dabs a tear from my cheek.

"And I love you. I knew I did when we were young as well but I never imagined you'd feel the same way. When you disappeared from my life, I was heart broken for a very long time. When I finally started dating other people, I never felt anything. I was almost convinced that I wasn't meant to be with anyone ever. But it turns out it was because I was meant to be with you.

You brought such happiness and warmth into my life that I didn't even know I was missing. You make me stronger, Regina. With my accident...you helped me get through it and not fall into dark places. You're amazing and I am so happy to have you in my life." I sniffle and try not to fall at kind words.

We both look to the priest. He smiles and looks towards Henry, "May we have the rings please?"

Henry nods with a grin and brings the wedding bands up, "Thank you, sir."

"Do you, Regina, take Emma to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love and cherish her, to honor her and protect her, in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." I slide the ring onto her finger. Oh god, Emma looks like an angel.

"And do you, Emma, take Regina, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love and cherish her, to honor her and protect her, in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live?"

"Damn right I do." I chuckle at her answer as well as some of the guests. After my ring is on my finger, we join hands once more.

"By the power vested in me by the State of Maine, I now pronounce you wife and wife. You may now kiss one another."

We lean in eagerly and when we kiss I feel that my face is full of emotion. I can't believe we are officially married. We pull apart as people cheer and clap for us. Then I wheel Emma down the aisle to our car waiting to take us on our honeymoon. We chose Paris, France. One of the most beautiful and romantic places in the world.

Yeah I could say Emma's accident was hell for me and I'm sure she could say the same about me leaving her when we were young. But we found our way together again, officially now. So this is what it's like - being so happy it's almost overwhelming. Yeah, I could definitely get used to this. I kiss Emma one more time before closing the car door and starting another adventure together.

 **The End. I love them, ugh. And sorry this update was late! Busy week! Thanks for your feedback you guys, so great :) Don't forget to head over to my new story!**


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